Page 22 - November/December-2019
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                                        Murtaza Ahmed



              SDG Pioneer for gender equality and


                                            decent work




               Murtaza Ahmed is elevating Pakistan’s

                    garment industry onto the leading

                      edge of corporate sustainability.



            Since joining Artistic Milliners as managing director in   8 (Decent Work). In March 2019, Artistic Milliner became
            2012, Murtaza has set up Pakistan’s first U.S. Green   the first denim company in Pakistan to carry the Fair
            Building Council LEED-certified garment factory and   Trade USA stamp. There are only 50 factories in the
            filled 50 per cent of the company’s top management   world that run the Fair Trade business model. Murtaza
            with women.                                       works tirelessly on gender quality issues: helping
                                                              women live more satisfying lives; improving the
            This year, Murtaza worked to create a factory carrying   company’s bottom line; and advancing Goal 5 (Gender
            the Platinum certification issued by the Council’s   Equality). The Board of Directors is now composed of
            Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,    16 men and 16 women.
            known around the world as LEED. These certification
            credentials dovetail with seven Sustainable       Murtaza, 34 years of age, has developed a campaign
            Development Goals: Goal 3 (Good Health and        — #WomenatMilliners — and expanded its
            Well-Being); Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation); Goal   momentum through partnerships with other groups.
            7 (Affordable and Clean Energy); Goal 9 (Industry,   Artistic Milliners has been a participant of the United
            Innovation and Infrastructure); Goal 12           Nations Global Compact since April 2018 and is an
            (Responsible Consumption and Production); Goal    active member of Global Compact Network Pakistan.
            13 (Climate Action); and Goal 17 (Partnership for   Through Network Pakistan, the company has
            the Goals).                                       become a signatory to the Women’s Empowerment
                                                              Principles and participated in Network Pakistan
            The company ‘s certification as a Fair Trade USA factory   forums, such as “Linking SDGs with Sustainable
            also accelerates Pakistan’s shift towards achieving Goal   Business Growth”, in 2018.

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