Idea Design Competition – Women University Swabi

After comprehensive training and capacity enhancement in critical thinking, entrepreneurship, and business communication. The beneficiaries of Women University Swabi were tasked to design innovative ideas and projects addressing thematic areas of the project such as critical thinking, economic empowerment, and inclusion, women empowerment, combatting gender-based violence, and strengthening women’s voices.

One-to-one mentorship and support continued through the days leading to Idea Design Competition. The team worked tirelessly to help students and faculty submit, refine and think through their ideas based on sustainability and adaptability to the local context. Moreover, the deadline for Idea Design Competition has been extended to March 24, 2022, due to the political situation and the on-campus activities happening at the university. As a result, 13 students and 8 teachers submitted their ideas for the Competition.

Idea Design Competition was a two-day event held at Women’s University Swabi.  On the first day, the team organized the participants in a session with a pitching mentor. The pitch mentor worked with the startup to more effectively sell its product (or service) to its customers with a more clear and more cohesive messaging, even steering the startup to thinking in key areas of its company’s future. The startups benefited tremendously from the deep insights that the mentor with domain knowledge provided. The session boosted the confidence of the startups and equipped them with informed lingo for their pitching. The next day, a separate pitching competition was organized for the students and Teachers of Women University Swabi.

Three winners for teachers and three winners for students were given a total seed money of 450,000 PKR in total. The winning ideas by teachers included Bukhari Diagnostics(female testing and diagnostic service), HayaCab (female-only transit system), and Waqt Pe(online grocery delivery service). The winning ideas by students include Little Joys by Hira, Hope, and  Sip and Ship café.

The event ended with the closing remarks from Dr. Shahana Urooj Kazmi – Vice Chancellor Women University Swabi, who appreciated the efforts of Shaoor Foundation for providing opportunities to the females of Swabi. She requested for the project to continue for another year to help equip more students and teachers. She further pressed that it is important that girls learn to be job creators rather than job hunters.