Fazna has bagged Emerging Women Leader in Social Work

Biography – Fazna Shakir

Ms. Fazna Shakir currently serves as a Minister of State for Gender, Family and Social Services. She directs and guides the Gender Development and Empowerment Department, Elderly well-being and Rights Division as well as the Quality Assurance Division. She directly supervises 14 staff and believes in leading with advocacy and passion to develop individuals that can work independently and contribute to the society. 

Her journey to where she is now, receiving this award of “Emerging Women leader in Social Work” was not an easy feat. Having begun her career at a young age of 16 as an assistant secretary at trainee at President’s Office, Ms. Shakir has been continuously working to build her name. She believes that this created a strong foundation for her work ethic and discipline she holds till today. She found her voice at Society for Health Education (SHE), an NGO working to betterment of the health and social well-being of the community, having joined in 1997 as a secretary to the CEO and moving up to the CEO position herself in 2016, where she led the organization by example for two years. During her time at SHE, Ms. Shakir was involved in community service in the capital Male’ and islands in Maldives.

She also completed her Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Business Administration awarded by University of Northumbria, UK in Binary University College, Malaysia in year 2006. While living and studying in Malaysia, her most important takeaway message came from her organizational behaviour model, stating that it is important to look at every object or living thing as something that contributes to life and living. She believes strongly that the way you perceive something, can dramatically change your attitude towards a situation and help you be more empathetic in life. She then went on to do her Master’s in Social Policy from Maldives National University. She has also done various trainings and workshops in many areas of her work and believes that these are strong additions to one’s career. 

In her career as CEO and State Minister, Ms. Shakir has developed working relationships with notable international organizations like United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), World Health Organization (WHO) and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). In building these relationships, Ms. Shakir also travelled to many countries including Iran, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand and many more. 

In her personal life, Ms. Shakir is a wife, a mother, a daughter and a sister being a supportive pillar of every individual in her life. While excelling in her professional career, she also carves a special place in the lives of her friends and everyone she meets with her passion, altruism and willingness to help in any situation. In her free time, she enjoys tending to her plants, with a special fondness to grow vegetables and herbs. She also enjoys reading, cooking and exploring food with her daughter and traveling to experience different cultures. 

Receiving a prestigious award of “Emerging Women leader in Social Work” is especially special for her because she believes that it can inspire the women that she had the pleasure of leading who are now successful in their own careers to reach even further and encourage them to set their goals higher. This award is a milestone, reassuring Ms. Shakir’s faith in her work and contribution to the society. She hopes to continue her work, although not in a political position especially in the area of elderly well-being and rights. Ms. Shakir also looks forward to continuing to encourage and empower girls and women to excel in all areas of life.