“Showing strength and changing mindsets."
Today, Nurunnaher is a sub-divisional engineer with the West Zone Power Distribution Company in Bangladesh. Her journey, however, has been nothing short of extraordinary.
Nurunnaher’s fight to prove her capabilities started as a child, having to prove her strength as a little girl with big dreams.
Unexpected health crises, a professional transition from the Ministry of Women and Children to the energy sector, Nurunnaher has seen it all, relying on her talent, skills and perseverance to chase excellence. Her previous mentor’s words ring in her ears – “do not rely on favours because you are woman; do your job properly.” As the only person in her department with a background in architecture, Nurunnaher has carried a variety of responsibilities, trying to prove herself in a male-dominated workplace.
The SAR100 course brought along a new set of challenges and rewards. The course was funded through the South Asia Regional Infrastructure Connectivity (SARIC) program and trained 110 South Asian women engineers in the energy sector on a variety of topics.
I feel so grateful for being a part of the SAR100 journey. I could engage in lots of activities that required teamwork, multi-tasking, knowledge sharing and breaking down inner barriers that holds one back from achieving their true potential.
The course provided Nurunnaher with a platform to explore new technologies and concepts, such as AI integration in power systems, quality management strategies, energy trade, and renewable energy technologies. She believes that this training has enabled her to take on new projects in the planning and development section with a new-found confidence. “Knowledge is power”, she says.
Nurunnaher admits that there are still biases and orthodox mindsets in her workplace that pose as hurdles for her career trajectory. But that doesn't stop her from aiming for the skies.
More importantly, she has a lifetime of memories to take with her from this course.
I felt so loved by my friends from the course cohort, be it participants from my country or the neighbouring ones. Our instructors and mentors were incredibly helpful and cooperative, even explaining the parts we found difficult, multiple times. I am finishing this course on a really high note.