When it comes to diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Arif Habib does it best in Pakistan.
Over the years, it has implemented initiatives and policies to empower women, either by offering leadership development programmes and mentorship opportunities, or tailored financial education to support their career growth.
Thanks to its efforts, Arif Habib has managed to grow the headcount of women in its workforce from 10% a few years ago to 24% now – among the highest in the industry. Additionally, of the firm’s 13 business heads, four are women.
The Arif Habib team says that female headcount has been added mainly in the trading desk for equities and in the client onboarding segment, with plans to further boost women numbers in the information technology, banking and coverage teams.
Its diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging policy has also ensured there is a comprehensive summer internship programme for women in finance, in the hopes of building the leaders of tomorrow.
Arif Habib’s external collaborations are notable, too. It has partnered with Investors Lounge to provide students with practical trading and investment experience, and has sponsored education initiatives on online edu-gaming platform KarMuqabla.