BAVINA SOOKDEO

In celebration of International Women's Day (IWD) which was observed on March 8, we continue to highlight the stories of women who have broken barriers and paved the way. Ria Karim is one such trailblazer who exemplifies resilience, determination, and a commitment to empowering women in various spheres of life.

Forty-five-year-old Karim is a seasoned executive with a wealth of experience in strategic planning, branding, marketing and communications, organisational growth and development and executive management in private and public organisations in the US and the Caribbean. She has a keen perspective on the administration of organisations, strategic alignment, market development and consumer loyalty in a host of sectors including fashion, film, music, entertainment, information technology, manufacturing and energy.

She grew up in Carapichaima, surrounded by a family of educators and strong women, and Karim’s upbringing laid the foundation for her belief in the limitless potential of women.

“In my own home, the example I saw before me every day was of a strong woman taking care of her family, working while having lofty ambitions that were pursued with the support of a very strong man. My mother was firm in her faith and quickly became a leader in her church, founding her own ministry and leading many initiatives over the years, supported at every step by my dad – a pioneer and leader in education and public service.

"She later started her own, highly-successful business which she continues to run today, while serving as the pastor of a church.”

Thanks to this upbringing, Karim developed an audacious spirit to pursue her dreams, regardless of societal expectations based on gender or background.

As an alumna of St Augustine Girls’ High School, Karim’s higher education marked a significant milestone. Despite financial constraints and the absence of a family precedent, she decided to study abroad, winning an open scholarship at A-levels and subsequently attended Georgetown University, Washington, DC, where she graduated cum laude. This not only shaped her academic and professional trajectory but also instilled in her independence, resilience and adaptability.

[caption id="attachment_1069613" align="alignnone" width="767"] Ria Karim developed an audacious spirit to pursue her dreams, regardless of societal expectations based on gender or background. -[/caption]

"Being away from my home and family proved much more difficult than I expected, but it was extremely formative and character-building for me."

Karim later earned an MBA with distinction from Arthur Lok Jack GSB.

She explained that she can look back at the example set by her parents and see that “instilled in us were critical elements for the progress of women: the opportunity to dream your own dreams; have a lofty vision for your life and a sense that you could do anything you want to do regardless of gender, ethnicity or difficulty, failure and criticism and get back up to try again, or try differently, while never giving u