KARACHI: Female students and university staff across Pakistan will have an opportunity to gain practical investment experience through a new nationwide competition focused on Shariah-compliant financial products.
The two-month initiative, called Empowered Women, Ethical Investments, was launched by Iqra University’s Centre for Excellence in Islamic FinTech in collaboration with ZLK Islamic Financial Services.
Open to female students, faculty and staff at universities across the country, the programme combines financial education with guided investment activities and access to digital tools.
Participants will be introduced to responsible saving, investment decision-making and the use of real-time market information.
The competition was formally launched on October 22, with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) announcing its support for the initiative on October 28.
Practical experience in investing
Unlike a conventional classroom course, the competition is designed to give participants practical exposure to Shariah-compliant investment methods.
Organisers say the activities will help women understand how investment decisions are made, assess financial information and develop confidence in managing savings.
The top three performing teams will receive prizes from the organisers and their partners.
The programme is supported by institutions including the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Central Depository Company, Meezan Bank and Al Meezan Investment Management.
SECP Commissioner Imtiaz Haider attended the launch, alongside representatives of academic institutions and the Islamic financial services industry.
The event also included a memorandum of understanding involving Iqra University’s Islamic FinTech centre, the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and ICEI.
That agreement covers wider cooperation in Islamic finance, financial technology and professional development.
For participants, the immediate opportunity is more practical: learning how financial markets work and gaining experience with investment tools that may otherwise be unfamiliar.
The organisers have not publicly specified the number of participants expected to take part or the value of the competition prizes.