I am Umama Saleem. I was born in Karachi and have lived my whole life here as well. I am an electrical engineer by profession, obtained my undergraduate from NED University of Engineering and Technology. Currently, I am pursuing a Master’s in Control Engineering from NUST Pakistan Navy and Engineering College. Opting for this field wasn’t based on the popular inclination of the masses towards engineering, rather it was solely interest-based. While studying physics, the section related to electrical machines excited me, there and then I decided I will go for electrical engineering. Getting into this field, I realized what a vast domain it actually was. It had so much to offer. Working with automation in industry and for my final year project cleared my mind regarding the specialization of my post-graduate studies.
The journey so far has been challenging but eventful. Being the first female to attend university from my paternal side of the family and that too going for a male-dominated degree programme was daunting. However, I went for whatever my soul wished for. After completing the degree I worked in a remote village in interior Sindh at a fertilizer plant for exactly a year. Living away from my home, family and city life and working in a rigorous environment required bravery. I never let those conditions dissuade me. The job relating to maintenance of electrical equipment was exactly what I wanted, challenging and practical. It was the best, seeing machines up close which had been a part of books only. But what dissuaded was the indifference of some of the colleagues towards my work. For girls like me, such practical jobs though do provide food for soul, but if the behaviors of colleagues is not very encouraging they also break the spirits of the young women. So, the experience technically was amazing but on a personal level it felt like always being on the edge of my nerves. Afterwards, I worked for a port industry as a maintenance engineer. The attitude of the upper management was very appreciative. Most of the colleagues were helping and appreciative of the work I did. But again, as a woman in STEM acceptance can not come 100% from your colleagues. But all in all, the practicality of the job, solving of technical problems and the positive behavior of the management was something that made me keep going. Serving as a maintenance engineer, I along with a female colleague of mine, received the license to operate quay cranes after undergoing a rigorous training. Quay cranes are gigantic giraffe-like structures, or as some people fondly call them “dinos” which move containers from the ship to a yard trailer and vice versa. They are as high as 83 meters. This was a first in Pakistan’s history that females had obtained the license to operate these huge cranes. I feel proud that I was able to pave way for a new profession for females in Pakistan. Seeing our example, one day many peers from our gender will follow our lead. On the ground of some personal reason, I had to quit my job. But all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my journey over there.
In future, I intend to help school going girls enter the STEM fields by creating awareness regarding the prospective future careers, counsel them, conduct seminars during which I will narrate stories of successful women in STEM and even share with them a little of the practical scientific knowledge. In the long run, I hope I become a technocrat who can draft policies to increase female participation in technological field. One day, I want to see the children of my country be as informed and equipped scientifically as are the ones from developed countries. See you there!