SHAHIDA BANO
Melbourne, Australia
Shahida completed the early years of her education at Diamond Jubilee School, Ahmadabad. She started her career in the field of health management and quality assurance at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
After completing her MBA in Health Management from Karachi, Pakistan, the mother of two, completed a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Melbourne – a second Master’s degree in health sciences.
Shahida is interested in examining health systems, particularly co-designing person cantered care models to provide effective healthcare both at the individual- and population levels
How did you go about accomplishing your achievements? What inspired you?
My strong belief is “A little progress each day adds up to big results”. [Satya Nani]
Back in Ahmadabad village during the 1990s, I was one of the very few privileged girls to have an opportunity to go to an urban city to receive a quality education. I can’t thank my parents enough to have taken that bold step for the sake of good education.
Whilst moving from a remote rural village to Karachi, a bustling fast-paced city posed many challenges, I perceived this as an opportunity to learn and grow myself every day – a little progress every day! Throughout my journey, I felt proud of myself and no matter how little the progress it motivated me to persistently follow my dreams.
What challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?
Being a mother of two active curious young boys and being away from family support, it was at first difficult to think about continuing my education and perusing a master’s degree in Australia. However, the support and motivation I received from my husband was instrumental in overcoming my fears and balancing between work, study, and the demands of a young family. Little adjustments to my daily structure and priorities, made a huge difference and facilitated the successful completion of my degree from one of the top Universities in Australia.
What has been the impact of your achievements on family, or society or community?
As a Quality and Safety assurance specialist for over 15 years, I consistently ensure high standards of quality healthcare and patient safety are adhered to. I take pride in the success stories of care recipients, and better experiences of carers and families.
Whilst we have made huge progress in patient safety in the last few decades, there is a lot more to do to ensure that patients and their families continue to receive the highest quality of care with the best possible safety measures. I am also determined to achieve that in my own day-to-day work!
If you were to name one woman who is a source of inspiration to you,….
My grandmother, who was a strong community leader and a volunteer. She taught me how to align what I say with what I do. And my mother, who I call “the iron lady with a kind heart”. She is the wisest and the humblest person, I know and has been the biggest source of my success.
I can name many other women who supported my growth and learning in many ways. My career’s first supervisor was an amazing and kind woman. My mentor, my sisters and my friends have been a blessing!!
What advice would you like to give to other members of the Jamat?
In the words of Nelson Mandela, remember, “it seems impossible until it is done”!
There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise and shine.
