Inspirational Women – Momtaz Ajid, Project Manager at Leaders in Community

How did you get to where you are today?
I started my career as a volunteer at my local community centre, where I had the opportunity to really understand my community. I’ve lived in Poplar since I was a child but it wasn’t until I worked in the community that I realised the type of community I lived in. There are so many socio-economic barriers here. I was both shocked and inspired by what the centre was achieving but it also made me realise that there was a need which was still not being met. That’s how I got involved in setting up Leaders in Community with an aim to inspire and empower local young people.

What barriers do women face in particular along the career path you’ve chosen?
A key barrier that I faced was to assert myself. When many people think of a leader, they may think of someone who is assertive, decisive and strong. However, when women take on these traits, they sometimes are negatively labelled as aggressive and insensitive. I found this level of labelling affected my performance when I first started out. I lacked confidence to challenge my male counterparts or people older than me and, at times, I have been labelled irrational and emotional, when I was passionate for the cause. Often, my peers looked at my age and thought I was naïve and, on some occasions, failed to acknowledge my successes and as a result I was in the shadow of others.

How/have you been able to challenge these barriers?
I grew to become more confident, diversified my networks and met many people from different sectors. I found speaking publicly helped me to become assertive and sharing my experience with peers help me overcome barriers. The more I continued to do what I valued, the more respect I was gaining which help me boost my confidence.

Getting as much work experience under your belt is incredibly valuable as it exposes you to so many complex situations that you must go through in order to grow and develop.

What does Women’s Day mean to you and why is it important?
It’s a fantastic recognition for the amazing work women do throughout the world. It is a reminder of how hard women have worked throughout generations to get to where we are and that’s a liberating feeling. Despite the fact that discrimination will probably always exist in some form, we will continue to knock down barriers for future generations to have a life that is fair and equal to all, irrespective of our gender.