On International Women’s Day, Dawn spoke to women from different walks of life, from lawyers to security guards, and asked them about their jobs and the struggles they face as working women.

Nyma Anwar Khan, lawyer

“I am a lawyer and worked as a law clerk at the Supreme Court for two years. At the time, it was an opportunity for me to experience the other side of the bench, where judicial pronouncements are made and to know what the process behind making those decisions were.

When I was in law school, I had thought there would be a lot more barriers to entering the law profession, more than I actually experienced. I had thought that because I was a girl, the profession would be more impenetrable for me.

Katcheri and courts seemed so male-dominated and thinking back, it was an erroneous assumption on my part.

Though there are fewer barriers, I still believe there is an upward battle.

There has never been a female Supreme Court justice though the number of women judges in the lower courts has increased.

Shabana Robin, political activist

I joined politics at the time of the local government elections. I felt I should be doing something for my people as many candidates just come to this colony just to get votes and they never come back again and I thought, I can do this job then why not come forward.

I think women are still treated the same way there were in the past.

Though people claim women are free, they haven’t been given their freedom yet.Even educated people think women should not be allowed to work outside the house.

I want to make education more accessible to women because then they can build their own careers and educate their children as well.

Hina Masood, security officer

Before we are deployed, we are trained which includes a briefing followed by different types of training including customer care and security.

I joined when this mall was first built about a year and a half ago. I took a break in the middle but they called me back because of my performance, so I rejoined. It is a very nice working environment.

Being a security guard feels good and so does being in uniform. I had always wanted a job where I get to wear a uniform like the army or the police and then I got this opportunity.

People do get intimidated but a lot of customers appreciate us and say we look good and perform our duties well. Some ask how we can expect to intimidate people when we always have smiling faces.

But we are not here to scare people; we are here to inform them and to provide customer care. It is our job to look after the safety and security of people but that does not mean we scare or threaten them.

Nighat, Edhi Home employee

I started working to provide for my children and I have been working in this home for less than a year. I look after children here, take them to hospitals and am responsible for their pick and drop. Workers in the home get attached to the children.

Women come to the home as well, some of them are mentally unwell and others are divorced.

Thankfully, the people who come to this shelter get everything they need to live here.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2016