Women have always been the backbone of society. They are the ones who keep the family together and support their loved ones through thick and thin. However, in recent years, women have started to venture out independently and become entrepreneurs. This trend is here to stay, as more and more women are recognizing their potential and taking the leap into the business world.
There are several reasons why women choose to become entrepreneurs. For many women, entrepreneurship offers the opportunity to be their boss and have more control over their lives. Women are also drawn to entrepreneurship because it allows them to use their creativity and imagination to build something from scratch. However, women often become entrepreneurs because they want to make a difference in the world and positively impact society.
Suman Valeecha is a female entrepreneur from Pakistan who founded Actcept, a nonprofit organization dedicated to raising awareness of the injustices done to the highly marginalized transgender community in Pakistan.
Actcept aims to fight the injustices against the transgender community by giving civic-minded people an opportunity to connect and offer assistance to empower them. The campaign strives to reduce hatred and prejudice against transgender by standing up for them and providing them equal rights to education and employment. Actcept helps the transgender individuals in claiming their rightful place in the society.
Actcept is an extraordinarily unique initiative that aims to develop empathy for the transgender community among Pakistani youth and employers by busting misconceptions about them. Valeecha’s primary goal for this initiative was to promote respect and acceptance for the transgender community by bridging the gap between them and mainstream society, primarily by empowering the community through education and employment opportunities.
The Beginning of Valeecha’s Entrepreneurial Journey
Starting a business is never easy. Success takes a lot of hard work, dedication and courage. For women, the journey to entrepreneurship can be even more challenging. They often face unique challenges that make it harder to start and grow a business.
Valeecha completed her early education in Karachi. She subsequently earned a master’s degree from the Institute of Business Management in Karachi (IOBM), considered as one of the best business schools in Pakistan. Later, she started teaching the MBA and BBA students at IOBM.
Valeecha wanted to work in the corporate sector until she was given the job of leading a student project based on Facebook’s global challenge of taking an entrepreneurial initiative to solve a social issue. Valeecha was always passionate about bringing social issues into the light through guest speaker sessions and workshops on the campus. She also introduced a course on social issues and how the social sector can be formalized; therefore, she was selected to lead this project.
The group decided to choose a social issue that remains unaddressed and can cater to a global audience. During the research phase, Valeecha came across the struggles of the deprived community of transgender. She realized that many NGOs work for women’s or child’s rights, but none of them formally work for the rights of transgender people. Therefore, she decided to go ahead with this idea for the university group project.
During those four months, the team learned more about the community’s day-to-day challenges. They came across some heart-wrenching stories, such as most transgender being entirely abandoned by their families and deprived of formal education and good employment opportunities. Finally, Valeecha decided to continue working for the rights of transgender. After the project was completed, she launched a nonprofit organization, Actcept, to empower the transgender community and ensure that they have access to fundamental rights of acknowledgement, acceptance, education, and employment.
Valeecha’s Challenges as a Female Social Entrepreneur
Some of the common challenges usually faced by an entrepreneurial venture include budget constraints, deciding upon the marketing and social media campaigns and identifying content contributors, etc. However, Valeecha and her team had to deal with the constant social pressure and criticism, along with the everyday challenges that other entrepreneurs face during the initial phase of their venture.
One of the main challenges female entrepreneurs face when starting an NGO, specifically those dealing with a taboo, is a lack of understanding and support from the general public. This lack of acceptance can often make it more challenging for the female social entrepreneur to find funding, resources and build partnerships with other organizations. In Actcept’s case, there was a lack of understanding of the unique needs and experiences of the transgender community. As a result, the masses were unwilling to acknowledge this initiative during its initial phase.
To overcome this challenge, in the initial days, the team Actcept primarily focused on awareness campaigns to change the negative perceptions about the transgender community and familiarize the masses with their challenges by holding talks and seminars. Through their social media pages, Actcept highlighted the community’s grievances and told the public how most transgender people live in poverty and lack access to essential resources such as healthcare, employment, and education. They also convinced them that their support and assistance could positively change this community’s lives.
Actcept engaged celebrities, bloggers and influencers to raise awareness about the transgender plight and injustices so they could reach out to a larger audience and create more awareness about their organization and cause. It is no secret that celebrities and influencers have a large following and significant influence. Influencers’ support can encourage others to get involved and show their support for the cause you work for. When celebrities and influencers raise awareness about your entrepreneurial initiative, they can educate the public, generate support, and ultimately lead to positive change. Engaging influencers to raise awareness about a social cause is beneficial for female entrepreneurs, as they have to make extra efforts to gain acceptance and recognition in a male-dominated business sector.
In Valeecha’s case, the subject she deals with is taboo; therefore, busting the myths and misconceptions remains a constant struggle. Actcept also highlights empowerment stories by sharing the achievements of different transgender individuals on their Facebook page. For example, they shared the story of Nisha Rao, the first trans lawyer who graduated in 2020. Actcept also shared the interview of Sarah Gill; Pakistan’s first trans doctor from Karachi. Sara also works with NGOs to promote human rights.
The stories of these transwomen’s resilience and empowerment are a ray of hope for the transgender community. By utilizing the digital platforms effectively and responsibly and creating an online support community, Actcept assists the transgender community in navigating the multiple challenges they encounter.
During the lockdown caused due to the COVID 19 pandemic, many trans individuals lost their jobs and faced immense difficulties in paying their bills and experienced food shortages. While Actcept helped the community meet the bare necessities, such as food and healthcare, during the pandemic, they developed a plan to help the community become self-reliant after the pandemic.
Valeecha and her team then started working on developing a comprehensive skill development program that could translate into job opportunities for trans individuals. The aim was to equip them with the required skillset to help them sustain jobs and survive, specifically during a crisis. The organization provides vocational training and education opportunities, especially to the younger lot of the community, so they can not only earn a livelihood for them once they enter the practical world but also change the narrative surrounding the community.
Valeecha also believes that transgender people possess innate capabilities and skills to perform specific jobs, such as caregivers, as they are empathetic. However, due to the stigma attached, people do not prefer having them as their child’s caregiver. Therefore, educating the community will play a significant role in shattering the myths about them.
Another crucial initiative that Actcept is working upon is helping trans individuals enter the corporate sector. The corporate world influences and impacts the masses’ perceptions; therefore, helping the community develop the skills needed to enter and survive in the corporate world would also be an essential step to normalize their presence in society.
Valeecha has been able to develop a network and mobilize it in a short period. She has successfully spread awareness, shared the stories of multiple trans individuals, normalized their presence in society, and connected them with the masses. She has successfully connected the trans individuals with employers; as a result, two trans individuals were employed in a foundation and school, and one was hired as a Barista at a coffee shop. However, it is a long struggle before the transgender community can enjoy equal rights as any other citizen.
The Bottom Line
Despite the challenges that Valeecha has experienced and still faces, she is a symbol of hope for several other women who wish to create an impact and change lives through their initiatives but are scared to do so. In developing countries like Pakistan, many women are passionate about becoming entrepreneurs, especially social entrepreneurs.
However, the fear of criticism, constant social pressure, resource constraints, lack of social support, network, experience and formal training to polish their entrepreneurial skills makes it challenging for them to take the first step. In such a scenario, initiatives like Actcept and female social entrepreneurs like Suman Valeecha are a source of inspiration for the masses. Valeecha strongly believes that if you trust in your ideas, are keen to make a difference, and are determined to achieve your dreams, you must take a leap of faith, pursue your dreams, and everything shall fall into place.
