Women's empowerment in Pakistan is close to the heart of international student Beenish as she embarks on her two-year MBA. Gaining knowledge, practical experience and confidence, she plans to challenge gender inequality in the workplace in Pakistan and break the glass ceiling.

Pakistan is my home country and the place where I grew up. It is the place where I found my personality and myself. It is the place of my culture and beliefs. For me, it is the place that taught me about the good in me and gave me the experience of life. Along with all that, I soon developed a sense of logical and analytical thinking. But as a fact; when you have an aware mind, it gets hard to ignore your observations. Certain situations where I found myself facing the gender disparity led me to think hard on how I could work to bring a change to this mind-set in a practical way. It was a mind-set that seemed set in stone and I believed it was time to change it.

Society's glass ceiling

From that point on, I was committed to being a successful female entrepreneur in Pakistan. This was my inspiration and my dream in life as a way of making a difference in a vast society that I wanted to help. In order to achieve my goal, I attended university and started pursuing my studies in business administration. Soon after I graduated from university, I started an internship in a company. There, I observed another glass ceiling in society. I saw that most of the top management positions in the organisation were occupied by men. Moreover, being a male dominant society where women are always thought of having a passive role rather than an active role, it was hard for anyone to accept orders from a woman as a management head. This was a glass ceiling that was yet to be broken.

A unique two-year course

It was while working in the company that I was told about an education fair going on in the city. It was a great opportunity for me to gather some information on how I could further my studies and attain a masters degree in business administration. So, I went to the expedition and I was told about a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) (Leadership Practice) at Edinburgh Napier University. This meant I could hone my skills not just as a person who can later work in a job but rather work as a leader or start my own business as an entrepreneur. It was the only masters degree that was extended to two years and offered the perfect opportunity for me as the course also provided me with practical experience in the form of a six-week work placement. It is a very unique course as no other university provides it over a two-year span, except for Edinburgh Napier. I was also offered a British Council GREAT Scholarship for my excellent academic record in my bachelors degree in Pakistan. I decided to join Edinburgh Napier to study the MBA (Leadership Practice) with a hope that when I graduate I will be able to establish myself as a successful female entrepreneur.