As the first female Director of Marketing in Pakistan’s agricultural sector – traditionally governed by patriarchal norms and glacially slow administrative machinations – Rabel Sadozai has grown accustomed to the spotlight.

Publications laud her “first woman” accomplishments, while industry events scramble to book her for keynote sessions. But for this marketing executive, the titles and accolades, although appreciated, have never been the focal point.

Rather, her ambitions revolve around sparking systemic change – innovations and infrastructures that will outlast any single leader, including herself. “Leadership is not about titles. It is about creating space for others, about moving the conversation forward.”

In the agricultural sector which defines the livelihoods of more than half of Pakistan’s population, leadership positions are often relegated to a handful of elite figures who perpetuate the status quo. Against this backdrop, Sadozai’s swift rise over two decades, culminating in her directorship at the Fatima Group – a major fertiliser company – signalled an atypical break in those power structures. While many are quick to shine a spotlight on her gender, she prefers to highlight the work that truly matters to her: stewarding Pakistan’s agricultural industry toward a more equitable, innovative future.

That future, she believes, is shaped by the experiences and voices of people closest to the issues. “You have to listen to the people closest to the issues – they are the ones who know most clearly what needs to be done.” Respect and recognise the limitations of your lived experiences by valuing the lived experiences of those you have professed to help, is Sadozai’s ethos.

This philosophy is, in many ways, rooted in her upbringing. Born and raised in Karachi, Sadozai found herself surrounded by, in her words, “legendary” women from a young age. She attended St. Joseph’s Convent School, where, she recalls, the nuns didn’t just teach us subjects. They taught us how to think, how to push boundaries.“

In her broader family circle, formidable women were also front and centre. Her khala (maternal aunt), the celebrated playwright Haseena Moin, penned some of Pakistan’s most iconic television serials.

“Her heroines were bold, unafraid to speak their minds,” Sadozai said. “That left a mark on me.”

Sadozai did her MBA from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA, Karachi). While the institution is well-known for producing some of Pakistan’s top corporate leaders, for Sadozai, the degree was a stepping stone toward honing a deeper understanding of what she calls “ecosystemic marketing”: a holistic view of how a product, a target market and societal needs intersect. “For me, marketing is about connecting the dots,” she explained. “You need to understand the entire ecosystem – what your product is, who your audience is, and how you can bridge that gap in a way that creates real value.”

Her early career path zigzagged through various planning and management positions, and by 2013, she joined the Fatima Group as a planning manager. Those who worked alongside her describe a colleague with a penchant for detail and a willingness to roll up her sleeves. Junior employees found her door always open – a corporate rarity. Within a few years, she rocketed up the corporate ladder, taking on increasing responsibilities until she was named Director of Marketing and Sales.

While the headlines applauded ‘the first female director of marketing in the agriculture industry of Pakistan’, Sadozai was hard at work. In 2023, the company’s sales volume in fertilisers surged to 2.8 million metric tons, grossing Rs 235 billion. Although these numbers draw applause from shareholders and local media, for Sadozai, market performance alone isn’t sufficient to gauge success.

“You learn the most when you are challenged,” she noted. “I had to make difficult decisions, especially when market conditions were not favourable. But those are the moments that test and push you to innovate.” Her daily to-do list goes beyond typical corporate tasks; it involves collaboration with agronomists, rural communities and governmental agencies.

“We cannot afford to think in silos or in terms of quick fixes,” she said, tapping her pen on a handwritten list of ongoing projects. “The solutions we come up with today need to be viable 10 years from now.” This long-term vision sets her apart in an industry where many leaders focus on short-term gains. Part of this vision involves recognising that the private sector cannot operate in isolation. Sadozai believes in the idea that industries like agriculture have a responsibility: “We have to think about the communities we affect, the jobs we create, and the long-term impact of our projects.” If one thrives at the expense of the other, the entire system suffers in the long run.

Sadozai insists that gender is only a small part of the narrative. She acknowledges that the presence of a woman in such a high-ranking position can inspire others. But she is equally firm that headline-friendly notions of tokenism should not overshadow the agricultural sector’s most pressing concerns – sustainability, food security and financial inclusion.

“It’s a reality, but the story is about how we are transforming the agricultural landscape and making decisions today that will affect generations,” she said.

At the same time, she understands the magnetic pull her story has for young women who might never have pictured themselves in a corporate role, let alone in agriculture. She sees value in providing a role model, but she bristles at the idea that being a woman in leadership should overshadow systemic issues that require urgent attention.

“My gender is not the story,” she reiterates. “However, if my being here encourages another young woman to think about a career in agriculture, that is a positive outcome. But it is not the main point. The point is that we need more capable people in this field, period – men and women.”

Her management style exemplifies that same emphasis on competence. Hierarchies, she contends, can often stifle innovation by discouraging open dialogue from entry-level employees. Instead, she prefers to cultivate a work environment where bright ideas from any corner of the office can rise to the top.

“Diversity is not just about ticking boxes; it is about bringing different perspectives to the table,” she said, citing the numerous ways in which inclusive brainstorming has sparked breakthroughs in marketing campaigns and product rollouts.

One of Sadozai’s most public-facing ventures was the “Rabia Sultan” campaign, which featured a female farmer as its central figure. The decision was met with scepticism even within her own team. Critics argued that male farmers, who still make up the bulk of decision-makers in rural settings, might not relate to a female protagonist in an advertisement.

“Everyone told me it wouldn’t work,” she recalled with a knowing smile. “But the campaign shattered stereotypes and resonated deeply with the rural and urban audience alike.” In 2017, Sadozai took her message beyond the boardroom by launching a web series that spotlighted female farmers from Pakistan’s diverse provinces – Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Far from glossy TV dramas, these short documentaries were often filmed in fields under the scorching sun, capturing the grit and gumption of women who are the backbone of Pakistan’s rural economy.

“Why aren’t we celebrating them?” she asked, her tone tinged with frustration. “These women represent the spirit of Pakistan yet their stories remain untold because they lack the glitz and glamour that mainstream media craves.”

Among these unsung heroines was a Sindhi woman named Nazo, whose story has become something of a legend. At 18, Nazo’s family land came under threat from armed cousins after the murder of her brother and the imprisonment of her father. For 18 hours, she defended the land herself, wielding guns against attackers intent on seizing the property.

“She’s not a bechari,” Sadozai said, using an Urdu term often translated as ‘helpless woman.’ “She’s a fighter. That’s the narrative we need to amplify.”

Sadozai’s dedication to spotlighting such figures didn’t end with the web series. She took Nazo and other female farmers to the Dubai Expo, providing a global stage for their powerful stories. Language barriers notwithstanding, their testimonies riveted international audiences. “They couldn’t speak English, but we translated for them and their strength left everyone in awe. This is Pakistan’s real story – they are the women we should be talking about.”

Despite the rigours of her professional life, Sadozai is equally attuned to the roles she plays outside of work: mother of two (aspiring painter and aspiring lawyer, if Sadozai gets her way), daughter, wife, sister and friend. She grew up in a tightly knit family that valued both career ambition and personal nourishment. Her mother, a teacher, emphasised that professional success rings hollow if one neglects loved ones.

“There is this expectation that you need to be one thing or the other – that you can’t be both professional and nurturing,” Sadozai said. “That is a false choice.”

That perspective has helped her find balance in a society where professional women are often expected to adopt either a hyper-masculine leadership style or a soft, maternal approach. Sadozai sees no reason why she cannot embody a blend of both.

“I can be one person in the morning and someone entirely different by the evening,” she joked. “It’s about making space for all facets of who you are.”

On a humid afternoon in Karachi, just before a scheduled flight to Pakistan’s southern region for a meeting with local farmers, Sadozai paused to reflect on the legacy she hopes to leave. Unlike many corporate leaders, she does not aim for monuments or plaques heralding her contributions. Instead, her ambitions lie in the quotidian changes – the shift in attitudes when a rural woman realises she can be both mother and entrepreneur, the moment a junior team member sees their idea take flight in a major marketing campaign or the sustainable practices that become the new normal for an industry desperately in need of modernisation.

“The solutions we build today must outlast our own time in these positions,” she said. “True leadership is about sowing seeds that someone else will water.”

Suppose that is the benchmark for genuine progress. In that case, the seeds planted by Rabel Sadozai may well bloom into the paradigm shift Pakistan’s agriculture sector has long been waiting for. And in that quiet, enduring transformation, one sees the real legacy of a woman who has never wanted to be confined by labels like “trailblazer,” yet has undeniably blazed a trail for countless others.

Correction: The print version of this article in the November-December 2024 issue stated the gross profit as Rs 235, instead of Rs 235 billion. The error is regretted. – Ed