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13:54Machine-translated from Azerbaijani by AIRead in Azerbaijani

SHE RISES Baku 2026 Brings Together Women Leaders from Azerbaijan and Pakistan

More than 60 women entrepreneurs, business leaders, public figures and partners gathered at the SHE RISES Baku 2026: Azerbaijan-Pakistan Leadership Conference, held at the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center. The conference was jointly organized by SheMatters Pakistan, Femmes Digitales and Azerbaijan Business Women, with Carnelian serving as the learning partner. The conference was the centerpiece of a five-day leadership visit that brought 30 women entrepreneurs and leaders from Pakistan to Azerbaijan.

Before the opening, the Pakistani delegation learned about the ASAN service experience during a familiarization tour focused on innovations and digital solutions in public services. Vusal Rustamov, Executive Director of the ASAN Innovation Center, officially opened the conference. The three co-organizers then delivered welcoming remarks: Jana Krimpe, founder and Chair of the Board of Femmes Digitales; Syma Arshad, founder and CEO of SheMatters Pakistan; and Tatyana Mikayilova, Chair of Azerbaijan Business Women and founder of the SHE (Smart, Happy, Equal) platform.

One of the day’s highlights was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between SheMatters Pakistan, Femmes Digitales and Azerbaijan Business Women. The partners will create the first platform of its kind for women from both countries. On this platform, women will share not only their successes but also the real challenges they have faced along the way.

The program was designed not as a presentation by one side to the other, but as an exchange between two ecosystems. The delegation led by SheMatters Pakistan included 30 women entrepreneurs, business owners and professional leaders from various regions of Pakistan who traveled to Azerbaijan. Their experience spans fintech, telecommunications, retail and commerce, digital inclusion, climate-smart business and artificial intelligence transformation. Azerbaijani women shared their experience in telecommunications, digital policy, banking, green entrepreneurship and public administration. During the five-day visit, the delegation met with Azerbaijani institutions, learned about the country’s innovation ecosystem and established direct ties with Azerbaijan’s women’s business community.

Throughout the day, Pakistani speakers appeared alongside Azerbaijani leaders. Kamran Rizvi, Carnelian’s leadership and business strategy expert and executive coach, opened the program together with Syma Arshad and moderated a conversation devoted to the human side of leadership. Executive coach and personal development and transformation expert Ayesha Nawab, as well as leadership and mindset expert and communication and purpose coach Shireen Naqvi, shared their experiences during the conversation. Sarwat Salahuddin and Rabia Khattak of Jazz spoke on the main panel about ethics, diversity, inclusion and women’s access to opportunities. Sara Ijaz, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Pakistan in Azerbaijan, shared a diplomatic perspective on the importance of such exchanges for relations between the two countries.

Program highlights:

  • “Women at the Table: Shaping Leadership, Influence and Change” — a keynote address by Nigar Arpadarai, a member of the Milli Majlis and an honorary board member of Femmes Digitales.
  • “Leadership in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation” — a Leadership Spotlight address by Khayala Fatullayeva, Head of Digital Economy at the Center for Analysis and Coordination of the Fourth Industrial Revolution under the Ministry of Economy and a Council member of Femmes Digitales.
  • “The Human Side of Leadership: What Change Requires of Us” — a panel discussion with Pakistani leaders featuring Sayyara Huseynova, Head of Marketing and Communications at B.EST Solutions and Secretary General of Femmes Digitales, and Ulduza Khalilova, founder and CEO of Digital Umbrella and a Council member of Femmes Digitales.
  • “Cross-Border Inclusive Growth, Opportunities and Leadership” — an interview-format talk by Sunniya Durrani-Jamal of the Asian Development Bank.
  • “Women Building the Future: Trade, Technology, People and Sustainable Development” — the main panel, moderated by Tatyana Mikayilova. Panelists included Shahla Mammadova, Head of Private and Retail Digital Products at PASHA Bank and a member of the Supervisory Board of Femmes Digitales; Maryam Abbaszade, Chief Operating Officer of Peerstack Academy and a member of the Supervisory Board of Femmes Digitales; and Pakistani speakers.
  • “The Floor Is Yours” — a moderated session in which participants turned ideas into concrete collaborations and next steps.

“For more than twenty years, I have been building digital bridges between countries, and I have learned that lasting bridges are never built on technology alone. They arise from trust and from people who choose to build together. That is exactly what the Azerbaijani and Pakistani women in the room did. The Memorandum that was signed is not just a piece of paper; it is a promise: when one of us rises, she lifts others with her,” said Jana Krimpe, founder and Chair of the Board of Femmes Digitales.

“When a woman’s business grows, the country grows with it. Azerbaijan and Pakistan are already strong partners, and women entrepreneurs can bring practical, everyday substance to this partnership: an introduction from one woman to another can turn into a customer, supplier or partner. The women we have brought together may be thousands of kilometers apart, but they are our closest partners. Regardless of where we are, we choose to grow together,” said entrepreneur Tatyana Mikayilova, Chair of Azerbaijan Business Women and founder of the SHE (Smart, Happy, Equal) platform.

“SheRises began as a leadership journey for women in Pakistan. Today, it has become a bridge. Thirty women came to Baku not simply to visit another country, but to see differently, connect differently and return transformed. The friendship between Pakistan and Azerbaijan is well known. This Memorandum adds to it a community of women who will advance that friendship in business, technology and leadership,” said Syma Arshad, founder and CEO of SheMatters Pakistan.

The partners plan to continue exchanges between women leaders from Azerbaijan and Pakistan through joint programs, business introductions and knowledge sharing.

The organizers thank ASAN service for hosting the conference, the INNOLAND Incubation and Acceleration Center for serving as the venue partner, and B.EST Solutions, the national operator of the Asan Imza (Mobile ID) service, for supporting the conference as a sponsor. The organizers also express their gratitude to the Embassy of Pakistan in Azerbaijan for its participation.

About the organizers

Femmes Digitales (the “Supporting Women in Tech” Public Union) is an independent, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization founded in 2013. Its mission is to close the gender gap in the technology industry, encourage more women to enter technology and IT, and build an inclusive workforce for the era of digital transformation. Femmes Digitales builds a strong network for its members and partners with government, academic and industry institutions.

SheMatters Pakistan is a women-focused leadership and opportunity platform based in Lahore, Pakistan. Through advocacy, leadership and skills development, financial inclusion, digital literacy and strategic partnerships, the platform supports women’s leadership, economic participation and entrepreneurship, connecting women with knowledge, networks, markets and opportunities.

Azerbaijan Business Women is a Baku-based nonprofit platform that promotes women’s entrepreneurship, leadership and economic participation. The platform brings together women entrepreneurs, business owners and senior executives, creating opportunities for professional development, mentorship, networking, innovation and business growth.