Australia Awards South and West Asia

More than 40 Australia Awards alumni from across South Asia and Mongolia came together on 16 March 2026 for a dynamic regional conversation on gender-equitable leadership and structural change, learning from the experience of the Pakistan chapter of the Champions of Change Coalition. The Regional Women in Leadership Network and Male Allies for Gender Equality (two Australia Awards alumni networks) hosted the session online, bringing together alumni working across policy, development, education and the private sector.

The Champions of Change Coalition, founded in Australia in 2010 by former Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick, brings together CEOs, board directors and senior leaders to advance gender equality and increase women’s representation in leadership. The coalition focuses on addressing structural barriers, fostering inclusive workplace cultures and embedding accountability for measurable progress.

The alumni networks invited Fiza Farhan, Group Convenor of Champions of Change Pakistan, as the keynote speaker. Fiza works closely with leading CEOs across Pakistan to promote gender equality and women’s leadership within organisations and communities. She is also CEO of ORA Global Development Advisors and a globally recognised expert on women’s economic empowerment, climate change, inclusive growth, public–private partnerships and sustainable development.

Nepali alum Dibakar Bhujel (left) moderating the session featuring Fiza Farhan (centre).

The session was moderated by Dibakar Bhujel, Australia Awards alum from Nepal and Under Secretary at the Government of Nepal’s Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security. Dibakar, who is also a member of the Male Allies for Gender Equality alumni network, highlighted the importance of leadership accountability, coalition-building and male allyship in driving meaningful change.

In her remarks, Fiza Farhan shared reflections from over two decades of work in women’s economic empowerment and inclusive development. Fiza described how her experiences—from her early career as the only female CEO in Pakistan’s renewable energy sector to her role on the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Women’s Economic Empowerment—shaped her leadership philosophy. She underscored women’s economic empowerment as a crucial foundation for broader social, political and legal equality, noting that economic inclusion unlocks progress across multiple dimensions of development.

Fiza provided an in-depth overview of the Champions of Change Coalition, highlighting its Australian origins and its focus on engaging senior leaders, particularly men, to treat gender equality as a business imperative, not a corporate social responsibility initiative. She explained how the Pakistan chapter, launched with support from Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, became the first international adaptation of the model. Despite initial scepticism, the Pakistan coalition has grown into the largest Champions of Change group globally, comprising 35 senior private-sector leaders across industries such as banking, energy, textiles, agriculture, logistics and consumer goods.

She illustrated how gender-inclusive leadership delivers measurable results, sharing examples such as PepsiCo Pakistan’s all-women distribution centre in Sialkot, which became the company’s highest-performing distribution hub nationally, as well as initiatives introducing female technicians, riders and agricultural workers that outperformed traditional benchmarks. She also highlighted the coalition’s strong emphasis on data, transparency and accountability, with annual reporting against shared gender indicators aligned to global frameworks and endorsed by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Office.

The interactive Q&A session highlighted the depth and diversity of alumni roles across the region. Alumni raised questions on strengthening women’s leadership through policy, closing the gap between strong policy frameworks and weak implementation, and adapting the Champions of Change model to other South Asian contexts. Reflecting on the seminar, Pakistani alumna Bushra Rasheed reflected, “Inclusive societies emerge from inclusive leadership and I trust in the efforts made by Champions of Change Coalition Pakistan. This Pak–Aus partnership in Pakistan sees a landscape of empowerment, trust and innovation complemented by both genders within their definite boundaries and maximum capacities.”

The Regional Women in Leadership Network (WiLN) and the Male Allies for Gender Equality alumni network are complementary, alumni-led initiatives working collectively to advance gender equality across the region. The Regional WiLN connects, celebrates, and strengthens women leaders by fostering equity and inclusion through knowledge sharing, leadership development and advocacy. The Male Allies network engages male alumni as active partners in challenging harmful norms, promoting inclusive environments and supporting systemic change. Together, through learning, reflection, collaboration and action, these networks contribute to building more just, equitable and inclusive societies.