This fall, Canadians had the opportunity to hear from Yasmin Karim, Gender and Development Program Manager at the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) in Pakistan, as part of AKFC’s annual University Seminar Series.

Yasmin shared inspiring stories from her recent, Canadian-supported work focused on women’s economic empowerment in the remote, high mountain region of northern Pakistan. Yasmin described some of the strategies used to empower young women, even in areas with restrictive social and cultural norms. These included women-only markets, gender sensitization training, and extensive meetings with families and local religious leaders. Participants were able to see how small steps over the long term can lead to lasting change.

This year’s University Seminar Series visited the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta, the University of Victoria, Simon Fraser University, and the University of British Columbia. Over 180 people came out to learn from Yasmin at these events and left feeling inspired by the incredible work of this remarkable leader.

Women’s economic empowerment is fundamental to sustainable and inclusive economic growth. To learn more about Yasmin’s work in Pakistan and discover how other Canadian organizations are addressing the gendered barriers to women’s economic access and success across the developing world, click here for a collection of case studies from last year’s Women’s Economic Empowerment in Practice roundtable (English only).