"According to a research by United Nations, globally 66% of the work is done by women and still they earn only 10% of the total income. Yet the interesting fact is that still 90% of the income they make is spent on their families...Savvy & Successful is our tribute to womanhood and to all talented women of Pakistan; women who have overcome impossible challenges to achieve remarkable success", stated Coca-Cola International President Ahmet C Bozer.
Coca-Cola directly employs almost 6,000 people in Pakistan and thousands add up after adding up their local collaborations. Other than the direct economic benefits, they have been very active in different social and cultural activities like Coke Studio which literally revolutionized and revived the music scene in recent years. Coca-Cola have been involved in numerous CSR projects in the field of education, micro finance and women empowerment. "Savvy and Successful" is company`s annual event to recognize, honour and appreciate the women achievers of Pakistan.
On May 29th, CCBPL`s second "Savvy & Successful Awards" were held at the Expo Center, Lahore where six Pakistani women were honoured with an award and financial rewards. The show hosted by the evergreen Ayesha Tammy Haq kicked with welcome note by the President of Coca-Cola International followed by a documentary revolving around the lives of women employed in the company. The documentary highlighted the fact that women are not just limited to the manual labour or high office posts rather today they are working in every department, from sales department to procurement.
The speech by Guest of Honour Governor Punjab Ch. M Sarwar was followed by the award distribution ceremony. The award winners were selected after building a large data base of the women high achievers of the country and after a close deliberation by the research committee. The six iconic women who were honoured included:
- Ameena Syed – Managing Director Oxford Press & Founder of Karachi & Islamabad Literature Festival.
- Ayesha Farooq – Pakistan`s first and only female combat-ready fighter pilot.
- Nilofer Shahid – Fashion Designer, Recipient of Order of Arts & Letters from the Government of France.
- Naseem Hameed – Gold Medalist SAF Games 2010 in 100 meters sprint.
- Samina Baig – Pakistan’s only woman to have summit Mount Everest, the world tallest mountain.
- Roshaneh Zafar – Founder Kashf Foundation. Recipient of Tamgha-e-Imtiaz from Government of Pakistan and One Women Initiative Award from U.S. State Department.
The presentation of awards were followed by a mesmerizing fashion show by Nilofer Shahid which was applauded by the audience. Rohail Hayat`s highly organized team pulled off a highly entertaining Coke Studio performance to conclude the event. The performance included which include numbers by Qayas, Fariha Parvez, Chakwal Qawali Group along with foreign artists from Italy, Turkey and Serbia.
Today women make up more than 50% of the total population of the country and unless we provide them adequate facilities and encouragement, it would be very difficult to progress as a nation. Events like Savvy and Successful are more than just handing out awards, it shows the commitment of big multinational groups like Coca-Cola to give something back to the society. It gives out a healthy and positive image across the globe where the people would get to now that with all the issues women are facing, there is still a large section which appreciate their hard work. These six women have shown great determination and there are many more hidden stories where women struggle and fight each and every day for themselves and their families. They are the back of any future progress and it is high time that we start celebrating our savvy and successful ladies!
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