SHEPOWER in Infinix

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Igniting #SHEPOWER in a fast-growing tech space

Research shows that diverse teams perform better and are more innovative, often suggesting promising results for business.Despite so, the lingering issue of gender disparity between male and female representation in the technology industry continues to be a hot topic for many activists, government authorities, and public-alike.

In line with this year’s International Women’s Day 2021 (IWD 2021) theme #ChooseToChallenge, four superwoman from the fast-growing smartphone brand Infinix looks to share their personal story in challenging biases and misconceptions within the tech space through a #SHEPOWER video released by the company. The video can be found at (https://youtu.be/3gRg8Ox7LZY).

The #SHEPOWER in Infinix

Founded in 2013, Infinix is a frontrunner in combining stylish design and cutting-edge smartphone technology in their products. As a brand who aims to connect with the youths via their product innovation, the brand is also not one to shy away from burning social challenges – in this case, empowering women to take a stance in some of the most challenging environment. This time it is encouraging some of those women to share their stories.  The #SHEPOWER means lot of more meaningful to Infinix than many other brands as the company seeks not only to foster the technological and innovative development of some of the less-privileged regions, it seeks to advocate social changes by promoting gender equality, as much as we don’t want to admit, some parts of the worlds aren’t very friendly to women who wants to develop a career of her own.

Fully aligning with the global goal, the company keeps growing its investment to contribute to turn Pakistan into a regional tech hub, and it just got one step further towards its mission and local commitment to put Pakistan on road to progress and prosperity. Infinix is contributing to Pakistan’s economy, while at the same time empowering labor, especially women, in the country. In the manufacturing facility at Pakistan, 60% of the workforce is comprised of women.

Talking of the women empowerment in Pakistan that how it has drastically increased over the past years, it would be great to mention Zuofyshan Ahmer, the community manager at Infinix Pakistan.

Owing to her profuse talent in singing, she had a global chance to portray her euphonious vocals and participate in the Guinness World Record for the most people in an online rap play.

“Being the only female layman candidate amongst the 5 other professional males with exceptional singing skills was not an easy thing to deal with. However, I had to be the strongest of them all as I was leading them as well through the platform of Infinix while representing my country, Pakistan”, said Zuofyshan while expressing her victory with glee.

Meet Shams Talaat, a 23-year-old marketer in Infinix, Iraq. Despite being in a place that has the lowest female employment rates in the world, Shams has always been a fighter when it comes to gender equality. Last year, she marched hand in hand with male and female protestors down the streets of central Baghdad as one of the organisers of the gender equality rally which made international headlines.

“We want to feel heard, equal – and be free to represent our own voices,” said the young girl who have just graduated from Nahrain University, one of the top universities in Iraq. “It’s uncommon for women to work in technology company here. Being part of this industry, in Infinix, in particular, means a lot to me because I am part of a vision that aims to provide great technology at an unbeatable price for my country. At the moment, I’m the only female member in my office – but I believe that things will change as we continue to promote a safe and inclusive working environment for aspiring women who wants to take a stab at the tech industry in Infinix,” continued Shams.

Another employee which shared her story comes from a transcontinental country where it spans the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia – the Arab Republic of Egypt, a place which ranked 136 out of 145 countries worldwide in gender equality. Amani, the Head of Human Resources Department at Infinix, Egypt, has over 10 years of working experience under her belt. During her time with Infinix, Amani has been invited to attend the biggest HR conference in the middle east HRSE 2019 HR Summit and Expo.

“In Egypt, women are under tremendous societal pressure to get married and raise a child. Traditional Arabic culture sees us as weak and one that needs protection – even getting out of the house alone is a trouble for us. That’s why I take great pride in my work and what I’ve achieved so far,” shared Amani when asked about her views on common difficulties faced by female employees in their country. Despite the scrutiny, she was able to excel in her performance: “It was very challenging in the beginning because the brand was growing so fast that I needed to establish a team and expand it by three times of its original size in such a short period.  Regardless, we did it in the end. Not only so, I also managed to finish my post graduate studies in Human Resource and Law while working. It’s truly a blessing.”

The last sharer comes from a place which represents a promising future for a highly progressive nation that has committed to itself to promoting greater gender equality in its once male-centric workforce – the People’s Republic of China. Jessica a 25-year-old mobile structure design engineer at Infinix Shanghai is turning heads with her talent in what seemed to be “a man’s job”.

With a childhood dream to be a fashion designer, Jessica finds joy in putting her creativity and passion into every aspect of Infinix mobile design: “ It’s a dream come true in an unexpected way. I’m really glad that fashion plays a critical role in Infinix’s product creation – it gives me an opportunity to see my ideas come to life in an everyday product like smartphones.” One of her greatest achievement includes a crossover project with popular mobile game PUBG where her designs were featured heavily on many prime advertisement spots.

Today, there are greater acceptance for women in the workforce globally. Infinix has never stopped to take challenges on, with a workforce of 42% women, it will continue to drive gender equality and diversity. It is not the ratio that counts but the culture of fostering diversity. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has also sped up the marathon for women’s rights in multiple aspects. That being said, companies – in this case, those in technology sector – will still need to relook and improvise some of their efforts in promoting gender equality in the workspace to ensure a sustainable change.

 

TECNO treats fans with “Cricket Ka Junoon” activities across major cities

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Pakistan Super League (PSL) has won the hearts of many for bringing cricket to Pakistan with some amazing international and local players. As the PSL matches have been postponed due to the Covid-19 situation, TECNO Mobile Pakistan has brought an interesting campaign to keep the cricket energy alive, called “Cricket Ka Junoon”.

The eminent smartphone brand, TECNO keeps finding new ways to engage with its customers. This “Cricket Ka Junoon” is conducting various activities for customers and retailers at the big electronic markets in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, and Gujranwala. All activities will lead to some amazing prizes from the brand, some on the spot and some through lucky draw.

For Camon 16 series users, TECNO has special offers in the “Cricket Ka Junoon” activities. If you have recently bought a Camon-16 series phone, come to one of these TECNO stalls in your city along with the phone and invoice to get an instant gift. You will also be given a coupon for an offline lucky draw to win a bumper prize at the end of the campaign. Another interesting game for Camon 16 series users will be Spin the fortune wheel. Come and play with three of your friends or family members and get a special discount. The amount you pin on that wheel shall be reimbursed to you on spot through the shopkeepers/retailers. 

TECNO will set up a “Hit the wicket” game setup at different retailers in your city as well. You can come and play a short cricket game with our TECNO personals there, hitting the wicket 3 times from a distance. If you succeed, TECNO will give you a special gift on spot.

So what are you waiting for? Visit TECNO stalls near you to play interesting games and win amazing prices. 

PTC Wins 6 Global Diversity and Inclusion Awards

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited (PTC) was awarded 6 Global Diversity and Inclusion Awards in the Global Diversity & Inclusion Benchmarks (GDIB) conference held in Karachi. The award was received by Waqas Ahmed Khan, Head of Human Resources, PTC and Beenish Kajani, Senior Human Resources Manager.

These awards are conducted by Diversity Hub Pakistan annually and their core objective is to encourage progressive organizations who align Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) with organizational policies and process for sustainable financial and social performance and recognize organisations which fulfil GDIB’s rigorous standards and benchmarks in the D&I space.

Last year PTC was awarded 5 GDIB Awards, however, This year, PTC won 6 awards in the following D&I categories: Vision, Leadership, Structure, Recruitment and Development, Learning and Education, and Communication and out of the 30 companies, which were evaluated, including multinational organizations operating in the country, Pakistan Tobacco Company Limited was ranked 5th nationally.

At the ceremony, Waqas Ahmed Khan, stated that in order to get the right value out of diversity, we are working relentlessly towards building an inclusive culture where difference of opinion, thought and background is not only accepted but respected. “We have made some great progress in Gender Diversity and creating the right work environment that brings the best out of our diverse talent. This is reflected in our strong talent brand and our ability to export great talent from PTC across the globe in senior roles.”, he added.

Ali Akbar, Managing Director PTC, shared his views on winning these awards and mentioned that as responsible corporate citizens in Pakistan, we play our role in creating inclusion by providing employment opportunities to people from different cultures and backgrounds. Diversity and Inclusion is one of our key Ethos that drives the transformation of PTC towards a Better Tomorrow. “My personal aspiration is to make Diversity and Inclusion a part of our DNA and a way of life.”, he added.

 

 

Hub Power Holdings Limited ready to explore the Oil and Gas sector in Pakistan

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Hub Power Holdings Limited (HPHL), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Hub Power Company Limited (Hubco), together with ENI’s local employees (in a 50:50 joint venture), has executed definitive agreements to acquire all the upstream operations in Pakistan of ENI and renewable energy assets owned by ENI in Pakistan. By way of background, ENI is a global energy company, which has been operating in Pakistan since the year 2000 in the Exploration & Production.

Through this transaction, Hubco, which is the first and largest IPP in Pakistan, will diversify its portfolio by entering the Exploration & Petroleum Sector. At the moment, Hubco has a combined installed power generation capacity of nearly 3,000 MW, through its existing power plants and its holdings in Joint Ventures. Additionally, Hubco has a majority stake in 2 more under construction power plants in Thar, with a power generation capacity of 330MW each. Hubco is the only power producer in Pakistan with investments in 4 projects listed under CPEC, valued at approximately $4billion. Moving forward, Hubco is looking to explore opportunities in diversified areas including water, renewable energy, upstream oil & gas, mining and infrastructure.

PMIC celebrates the empowerment of women in our society, this International Women’s Day

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Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company Limited (PMIC), the country’s foremost organization serving as a vital pillar to the National Financial Inclusion Strategy, recently celebrated International Women’s Day at its headquarters, honoring its aim to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. On this auspicious day, PMIC is honored to celebrate the International Women’s Day along with the organization’s talented women who are challenging conventional roles in society. 

PMIC for long has been a proud supporter of women’s empowerment, with its 82% active borrowers out of the total loan portfolio, being women around Pakistan. Women’s empowerment has been on top of PMIC’s priority list since the beginning, as it elevates them financially, economically and socially. Today, we celebrate the International Women’s Day 2021 and look forward to shining the spotlight on several incredible women, single handedly improving their own, and the lives of those around them.

“PMIC has always been a proud supporter of gender equality, whether it’s in the workplace or not. The female segment of any society is capable of so much more than they are given the opportunity to and we focus on being advocates to aid gender equality at the sector as well as individual level in the country,” CEO, PMIC, Mr. Yasir Ashfaq commented while highlighting what his organization stands for. “This international day stands for more than just a tribute to women around the world, It celebrates their accomplishments throughout the world’s history and showcases for young boys and girls, what the ideal society should be like.”

Through PMIC’s network of more than 23 Microfinance Providers in more than 65 districts of Pakistan, more than 80% of the borrowers are women. PMIC also focuses development of women centric financial products and initiatives leading to financial inclusion, financial literacy, empowerment and sustainable livelihoods for women contributing towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 and the National Financial Inclusion Strategy (NFIS).

Mr Mandiwalla at the IAC.

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Lahore (Qasim Ali) Eminent cinema owner and distributor Mr Nadeem Mandviwalla gave a talk on “ The Film Business in Pakistan” to the Film & TV class at the IAC on 9 March.

He gave a perspective of the rise and fall of the cinema industry and the challenges faced due to the Covid closure of cinemas. The talk was followed by a Question & Answers session. Film and TV personality Mr Rashid Khawaja conducted the session.

 

Vocational Training Program in Punjab

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Vocational Training Program in Punjab to Include Digital Skills on eCommerce and Digital Trade.

Punjab Vocational Training Council and Extreme Commerce Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Train Youth in the Province.

 Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) The Punjab Vocational Training Council and Extreme Commerce have signed a memorandum of understanding to uplift the skill sets of the youth in Punjab. Extreme Commerce’s will offer its state-of-the art Video Boot Camp (VBC) for the training and capacity including initiatives, along with boosting the culture of entrepreneurship and E-Commerce.

Extreme Commerce has a VBC learning platform comprising of 100+ digital skills that offer interactive videos and training opportunities for skills development. Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC) was established in 1998 on the basis of Public Private Partnership by the Government of Punjab. This MOU will further strengthen Punjab Vocational Training Council’s (PVTC) work providing ample opportunities for the youth of Punjab, with digital skills. 

Sunny Ali, the Founder and Chief Executive officer of Extreme Commerce said, “This is a landmark achievement by the Government of Punjab, where it has realized the digital transformation potential and has offered digital skills-sets to its citizens to enhance their knowledge and entrepreneurial aspirations”. Empowering youth with E-Commerce dynamism knowledge will open the windows of opportunity on a global level. Extreme Commerce will make its knowledge repository available as the learning platform to the Punjab Vocational Training Council (PVTC).

Speaking on the Occasion, Shahnawaz Badar, Chairman, Punjab Vocational Training Council said, “We have a vision to cement PVTC as a leading organization that provides professional vocational training to all the needy youth wherever they are in Punjab”. He further said, “We aim to achieve this by exceeding students’ expectations, rewarding its employees and providing suitable opportunities for all the students to start earning a reasonable livelihood”.

Keeping in consideration the latest trends based on market demands through Training Need Assessment (TNA) after conducting demographics survey at tehsil level, PVTC has developed a curricula for 65 various trades to cater for the growing demands of industrial, agriculture, health and service sectors. Apart from their regular vocational study & practical work, Life Skills and Social Entrepreneurship courses are compulsory for each trainee.

The training of these trades will be imparted through PVTC’s 210 Vocational Training Institutes (VTIs) established in vacant/underutilized Government buildings throughout Punjab with an annual training capacity of 60,000. PVTC maintains a healthy gender balance with a female to male ratio of 49:51 and is striving to enhance it further. So far, approximately 840,269 trainees have successfully graduated from PVTC, out of which about 82% have been gainfully employed or are working as entrepreneurs.

Extreme Commerce Pakistan’s first EdTech company specializing in E-Commerce and digital trade education and practices to train Pakistani youth to sell on online platforms. Extreme Commerce and PVTC’s memorandum of understanding will also aim to improve E-Commerce and digital trade literacy in the province as well.

The partnership between Extreme Commerce and PVTC, will be imparting knowledge skills on how to sell online platforms including Daraz, eBay, Alibaba and, Amazon platforms more efficiently with maximum customer satisfaction and potential to grow. The arrangement will facilitate the sellers to expand their enterprise further and improve their online skills, including formation of new businesses, creating stores, product branding and marketing. Extreme Commerce’s Video Boot Camp (VBC) is a collection of 100+ E-Commerce and digital money-making skills for global digital trade. VBC covers an extensive range of skills that builds and empower with eCommerce and digital trade skill sets to earn money by offering services to clients across the globe. It also capacitates on setting up own businesses and stores on national and international eCommerce platforms. Through this MOU, the technology enthusiasts can create and manage new businesses. The PVTC training recipients will also benefit from the rich knowledge resource available on the VBC platform as well. The partnership will be catalytic for the Pakistani digital exports market to cross the Rs. 100 Billion eCommerce trade in 2021.  

Extreme Commerce’s vision to make Pakistan a global e-commerce back-office hub has been acknowledged by international institutions as well. Extreme Commerce aims at developing a national e-commerce ecosystem through inspiring and empowering entrepreneurs. Being Pakistan’s largest e-commerce knowledge sharing and capacity building platform, Extreme Commerce has a community of more than half a million people nationwide. Whereas PVTC trains more than 60,000 professionals every year.

With this partnership the E-Commerce community in Punjab province will have access to specialized courses designed for business enthusiasts and registered members that will focus on experiencing training on digital trade, data analysis and other innovative solutions blooming on an international level.

Extreme Commerce is Pakistan’s first EdTech start up with a sole focus on skills development and capacity building within the E-Commerce and digital arena. Founded in 2017, it is the largest community of its kind in Pakistan, with well over half a million members and over 100+ courses and income streams to choose from. Extreme Commerce estimates that by 2025, it will foster a community of over 1 million strong, generating well over $1 billion in inward remittance for Pakistan.

HUAWEI Launches ‘Women Developers Program’ For Technological Innovation

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Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Huawei officially launched its HUAWEI Women Developers (HWD) program, which aims to empower women developers to create applications and tools that can change the world. The program is intended to encourage more women to join in technological innovation by providing participants with more opportunities and platforms for career development and skill training. Any woman developer from around the world can register to join the program on the HUAWEI Developers official website.
Huawei states in the announcement that, in the digital era, more opportunities and support must be given to women to ensure they have access to the education and training that they need to be fundamentally competitive in the digital economy. Equipping women with these skills has proven to promote social integration and inclusive and diversified societies.
Huawei Senior Vice President Chen Lifang said: “We believe that women will lead technological innovation. We hope that the HUAWEI Women Developers program will help women better leverage their talents and unique value, and give them opportunities to demonstrate their leadership abilities. This will help make our world a better place.”
The HUAWEI Women Developers program is the newest initiative that Huawei has taken as part of its commitment to promoting gender equality. The program will provide participants with training on technological innovation and career development paths, along with opportunities to meet with experts in cutting-edge technologies from various fields, and to participate in hands-on scenario-based experiments and drills. Huawei hopes to create a special community for women developers on the HUAWEI Developers platform, and organize a series of online and offline events.

Through its existing Shining-Star program, Huawei also offers women developers special incentives to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Participants from this program who develop outstanding projects with big potential will have the opportunity to be featured in future campaign sand invited to other official Huawei events.

The HUAWEI Women Developers program is now open to women developers from around the world.

Meghan accuses royals of racism, says she thought about suicide

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Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain’s royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son’s skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that will send shockwaves through the monarchy.

The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self harm after pleading for help but getting none.

Meghan said her son Archie, now aged one, had been denied the title of prince because there were concerns within the royal family “about how dark his skin might be when he’s born”.

“That was relayed to me from Harry, those were conversations that family had with him,” Meghan recounted in an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired on CBS late on Sunday.

Meghan declined to say who had aired such concerns, as did Harry. Winfrey later told CBS that Harry had said it was not Queen Elizabeth or her husband Philip.

Harry said his family had cut them off financially and his father Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, had let him down and refused to take his calls at one point.

Buckingham Palace was not expected to give an immediate response to the interview, which aired in the early hours of Monday morning in Britain.

Nearly three years since her star-studded wedding in Windsor Castle, Meghan described some unidentified members of the royal household as brutal, mendacious and guilty of racist remarks.

She also accused Kate, wife of her husband’s elder brother Prince William, of making her cry before her wedding.

While the family came in for open criticism, neither Harry nor Meghan attacked the 94-year-old queen directly.

Still, Meghan said she had been silenced by “the Firm” – which Elizabeth heads – and that her pleas for help while in distress at racist reporting and her predicament had fallen on deaf ears.

“I just didn’t want to be alive any more. And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought. And I remember how he (Harry) just cradled me,” Meghan said, wiping away tears.

5-minute battery for electric vehicles

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Flat battery to full charge in just five minutes — an Israeli start-up has developed technology it says could eliminate the “range anxiety” associated with electric cars. Ultra-fast recharge specialists

StoreDot have developed a first-generation lithium-ion battery that can rival the filling time of a standard car at the pump. “We are changing the entire experience of the driver, the problem of ´range anxiety´… that you might get stuck on the highway without energy,” StoreDot founder Doron Myersdorf said. The innovation could eliminate the hours required to recharge an electric car, he said. Hundreds of prototypes are being tested by manufacturers. His company, based in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv, is backed by four key investors: German automobile manufacturer Daimler, the UK´s British Petroleum and the electronic giants Samsung and TDK. Myersdorf, who set up the company in 2012, has tested the battery on phones, drones and scooters, before tackling the big prize of electric vehicles.