The work changed shape. The purpose did not.
From a community space in Manchester to national education reform in Pakistan, and now to a portfolio spanning technology, health and economic opportunity, each chapter has built on the one before it.
The first lesson in women’s enterprise
Volunteering alongside her mother introduced Fajer to women entrepreneurs in Pakistan, their talent, the barriers they faced and the power of practical support.
Inspired Sisters, Manchester
At 18, Fajer founded Inspired Sisters: a women-focused social enterprise and community learning space supporting education, employment, enterprise and mentoring. It reached around 3,000 women in its first year.
A return to Pakistan
After more than a decade of community and policy work in the UK, she returned to Pakistan and carried the same conviction into a new national context.
Building PAGE
As Executive Director of the Pakistan Alliance for Girls Education, Fajer helped turn an idea into a national platform, working across policy, non-formal education, digital inclusion, leadership and partnerships for girls.
Global recognition for girls’ education
PAGE’s Star Schools programme received the UNESCO Global Prize for Girls’ and Women’s Education. PAGE was also named a Library of Congress Literacy Awards Successful Practices Honoree.
A new chapter
Fajer concluded her decade at PAGE and moved from leading one institution to building a connected portfolio across women’s economic opportunity, health, skills and technology.
From evidence to action
She founded Balance AI and began building Tawazun, an AI-powered legal-guidance platform designed around the realities of Pakistani women. In parallel, she launched Zainab College of Nursing and continued expanding Balance 360 and Dr Sadiq Foundation.