LAHORE: What a terrific way to let women know they are empowered and the country believes in their potential and the miracles they can do.

Coca-Cola Beverages Pakistan Limited (CCBPL) celebrated its third annual Savvy and Successful Awards 2015 at the Expo Centre on Thursday.

The "S&S Awards" are carried out yearly, celebrating the successes of inspirational women in Pakistan. The campaign concluded with a ceremony awarding eight versatile women and marked the launch of CCBPL's flagship women empowerment initiative, "Zeenat Gari"; a women for women rickshaw transport initiative offering women from the under-privileged sections of the society an opportunity to obtain rickshaws as a mode for earning a livelihood. This project helps women make a living by driving a rickshaw and provides them an opportunity to gain financial independence in line with The Coca-Cola Company's global commitment to empower 5 million women across their value chain by 2020 (#5by20).

The list of award winners of the night includes leading educationist Humaira Bachal who runs Dream Model Street School for underprivileged children; Pakistan's first female taxi driver, Zahida Kazmi; Pakistan's first female fire fighter Shazia Parveen; Director of Justice Project Pakistan, Sarah Bilal; young national level Squash player Sadia Gul; and the first Pakistani woman to earn a PhD in Extragalactic Astrophysics, Dr Mariam Sultana. Additionally two women from within CCBPL were awarded: Naeem Akhtar, Sales Coordination Officer and Shumaila Noreen, their first female Warehouse Operator in the entire value chain.

The campaign has been enthusiastically received, and the event was well-attended by known personalities such as Governor Punjab Rafique Rijwana, ex Senator Rukhsana Zuberi, Jamshed Qazi, Pakistan Representative of UN Women, renowned fashion designer Nilofer Shahid, Senior Army and Government officials.

Women have in the past and a bit too frequently over the years spelled 'heroic' deeds with grace and aplomb. Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah said, "No nation can rise to height of glory unless your women are side by side with you." Keeping that in mind too, women empowerment is given in a society where we made to believe quite the opposite.

More power to women!