Born and brought up in Pakistan, Mehreen is as an engineer. “I was one of four females in our Civil Engineering class of over 250 students, with the rest being males.”
“That never fazed me, since my parents were firmly by my side – and encouraged me to become an engineer, just like my brothers had.”
“But I think my challenges increased greatly after I came to Australia", said Ms Faruqi.
“When you are a woman, a migrant, of brown colour and a Muslim - when all of these things come together, the barriers increase manifold.”
“But the confidence instilled in me by my parents stood me in good stead. I’ve never thought of myself as a woman struggling to find a place in a man’s world - I’ve always believed that I will succeed on the base of my own abilities.”
"And I'm very grateful that I have a very supporting family - my husband and my children have been the backbone of my success."
Speaking of her professional life, Ms Faruqi said, “I have worked as an engineer for nearly 25 years, as a consultant and as a lecturer at Macquarie University. I was always a Greens party voter, but after I joined the party, I guess it was just meant to be.”
Ms Faruqi added, “It is unacceptable in a country like Australia in the 21st century that only 10 women out of 42 members of parliament in the NSW upper house are female. We must have more female representation."
When asked about her role models she said, "My grandmother, my mother and my aunt were my greatest influencers. Also my maths teacher in Pakistan, who always inspired me to succeed and many other colleagues here in Australia."
"Seeing my grandmother, I learnt very early that women must stick together - and stand by each other's side, because that's what really empowers them. That's the advice I will give everyone, especially on International Women's Day that we must encourage women to tell / share their stories. That is exactly what will help them succeed."
Female role models featured by SBS Punjabi this International Womens Day
Ranjana Srivastava: Fighting cancer by not just treating patients, but also empowering them
