career opportunities for women wearing hijab/niqab in Pakistan?

during my stay at islamabad, i rarely see some girl with niqab but hijab is normal. but i think no1 mind if someone do niqab. atleast ppl mostly has very repectable attitide toward them. about employers, its depend. mostly multinantional and NGOs are against it.

This constitute many things. Regardless how weak, they still respect values and they understand the intentions. Let me explain it to you:
There is this Niqab that covers all of your face, head and only eyes are left open.
Then there Hijab it covers you head. Face from chin to forehead is visible.
Then there is abaya its an extra long and loose shirt on your cloths that not only hides your cloths but also hides the physical make.

Now my experience of meeting people (sisters):

1. I have met a working woman with Niqab. Her eyebrow were fully trimed / toned whatever you call it and she was wearing skin tight cloths with no abaya at all.
2. I have also seen working women who prefer to wear abaya and no hijab or niqab.
3. I have seen sisters who wear abaya with Hijab.
4. I have seen only a few sisters with niqab and abaya.

I have seen people show a lot of respect for sisters with B and C type of dressing. D type of dressing is rare. I can remember only one sister who was my wife’s doctor, May Allah SWT reward her, Ameen.

Now come to the companies I think most of the companies don’t mind b and c type of the dressing. They even don’t mind d type of dressing if the job is not related to full time public dealing.
Some people may find it difficult communicating with a niqbi sister but in most cases here people do calculate performance which is actually the key. I mean I will prefer going to a niqabi expert than someone dressed without niqab/hijab/abaya and is not expert of the product or her work etc.
I have also noticed that most of the people avoid freeing with sisters dressed in Hijab/ Abaya etc.

This is my personal opinion. Most of my work experience is with Karachi based Pharmaceutical, Shipping / Logistics Industry and I had to deal with banks (the worst dressing code institutes of Pakistan) also.

Trust this helps.

On the side note will it be possible for a sister to stay in Niqab for 8 hours (9 – 5)?

format_quote Originally Posted by tigerkhan

during my stay at islamabad, i rarely see some girl with niqab but hijab is normal. but i think no1 mind if someone do niqab. atleast ppl mostly has very repectable attitide toward them. about employers, its depend. mostly multinantional and NGOs are against it.

walaikum assalam

JazakAllah for responding.
Its true people in Pakistan still respect hijab and niqab in daily life but what about in business life? are these women accepted? other than multi national or NGOs, what about local firms and companies?

format_quote Originally Posted by ardianto

How about in back office?.

In my place there are many hijabi women who work in multinational companies, but usually they are in back office. For front office and especially position that meet people like public relation, multinational companies prefer 'sexy' women.

Is personal presentation more important than skillls and knowledge for them? why? it effects their marketing?

format_quote Originally Posted by Tilmeez

I have met a working woman with Niqab. Her eyebrow were fully trimed / toned whatever you call it and she was wearing skin tight cloths with no abaya at all.
I have also seen working women who prefer to wear abaya and no hijab or niqab.
I have seen sisters who wear abaya with Hijab.
I have seen only a few sisters with niqab and abaya.

this is the third and the forth category i m talking about

format_quote Originally Posted by Tilmeez

Now come to the companies I think most of the companies don’t mind b and c type of the dressing. They even don’t mind d type of dressing if the job is not related to full time public dealing.
Some people may find it difficult communicating with a niqbi sister but in most cases here people do calculate performance which is actually the key. I mean I will prefer going to a niqabi expert than someone dressed without niqab/hijab/abaya and is not expert of the product or her work etc.

The first thing i have been thought while i came in contact with some professionals that with niqab and even hijab there is no future for career where there is any sort of little public dealing even in Pakistan.
this means that many people don't actually calculate performance. don't know how much is it true..
if a niqabi women is more expert in the field i dont find any point of being rejected.. the same question come here then

format_quote Originally Posted by muslima haya

Is personal presentation more important than skillls and knowledge for them

i don't have any personal experience but i rarely see any women with niqab+abaya working at office.. i wonder is it because people don't accept them or its their own choice of not working.

format_quote Originally Posted by Tilmeez

On the side note will it be possible for a sister to stay in Niqab for 8 hours (9 – 5)?

yes it is possible.. talking with experience

format_quote Originally Posted by ardianto

But don't ask me why. I am not a manager in one of those companies. I didn't even employ female, all of my employees are males.

this 'why' is what i wanted to be answered in real world also but still not satisfied with the answers
if a hijabi women have good public dealing skills and more capable of working at front office why she is not preferred?

no problem brother. may be some one else can help me with this..

format_quote Originally Posted by muslima haya

The first thing i have been thought while i came in contact with some professionals that with niqab and even hijab there is no future for career where there is any sort of little public dealing even in Pakistan.
this means that many people don't actually calculate performance. don't know how much is it true..
if a niqabi women is more expert in the field i dont find any point of being rejected.. the same question come here then

sister what i see is, in pakistan the system is totally diffrent and corrupt than in west. no1 get job or promotion base on his/her skills (very rare) but most of time on refrences and others means. 2ndly the worst side of picture, employers here are very ******* (most of time) and female employee who set un-necessary relation with them and can go outside boundaries (like dating, chit-chat) will surely be promoted and get increments. but one who has beard or niqab will always treated with discrimination. so if u heard that there is no future for niqabi girl, its somehow true in this context
secondaly sister pakistan job market in dumb, there is too much unemployment and competition. eg if for a position if a employer find 2 applicant same in skills, experience but one with niqab and other without, i think they prefer the later.
i think u should not be worried about the "how ppl react". as talmeez also said ppl respect ppl with islam and taqwa. the issue is employer..if u can cope with them, there will be no issue whether u wear niqab or what so ever. there r many sister i see who r masshallah with full niqab and even i see some with hand gloves, but mostly they r in medical or education. maybe most of religios families in pakistan only allows their girls to do job in these 2 fields. but i think Allah SWT is with those who r firm and patient, so go ahead and be steadfast and patient. Allah swt will be with u.

I Do agree with Tilmeez and tigerkhan but not completely.
Thinks do happens in the way you all have described but not every1 and every where those things happens

i went to bank islami branch few weeks back and i saw two women at teller position with full niqab and abaya.
and what about Army and Airforce where you find women officer with hijab, Do you both belief there they don't have long career ??

i think you all have seen alot and heard about women career but don't tell me that you have seen it all.

format_quote Originally Posted by Zahra Arain

I also want to know that can a woman join as a doctor in pakistan military in niqab ?

Sure, yes