Meet Fall Fellow Sumaira
Sumaira Inayat, our Marketing and Fundraising Fellow
We are thrilled to welcome Sumaira to the team this fall! She will be a Marketing and Fundraising Fellow, supporting Girls Leading Girls in upcoming communications and fundraising. The fellowship program is conducted through the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX), sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. Read more about Sumaira below.
My name is Sumaira Inayat, and I belong to the mountains of Northern Pakistan (Shimshal). I started playing football (soccer in the US) when I was 16. I started football with my sisters, and we were the first girls from Shimshal to play football and represent Pakistan in our community games (Jubilee Games 2016). I also got a full sports scholarship for my undergraduate degree at the University of the Punjab, Lahore. At that time, football wasn't a common sport and was not really appreciated. Females have to face many societal and financial barriers in pursuing their dreams as an athlete.
I was working with Atletico Madrid Football Academy in Lahore as an assistant coach. I also completed my C-license football coaching in 2020. After that, I worked as a freelance video editor, since I love photography and filmmaking. Recently, I started working as a full-time accounts manager at a PR company and a freelance social media manager for a US-based Soccer Gloves Company.
I play for my university football team (Punjab University Football Team) and private clubs in private tournaments. Apart from this, my sister and I are working on our league. The goal is to make it big enough that people from all over the world come and compete in our league. And that our girls get a chance to represent Pakistan in tournaments all over the world.
Why did you choose Girls Leading Girls as your fellowship host organization?
After going through Girls Leading Girls social media and website, I found it pretty interesting, and I felt that our goals are somehow the same. I love working for the betterment of sports, and that’s what encouraged me.
What are your career goals?
My current short-term goal is to complete my program successfully. Apart from this, I want to work on the development of football grounds in Northern Pakistan. To ensure that the girls play on a proper football ground.
Why do you care about women’s sports? Why are sports important for girls?
Being a sportswoman, I have been through a lot of struggles. Playing any kind of sport is not easy in Pakistan. There are not too many opportunities for women’s sports in Pakistan. Most of the players give up because they don’t find any good opportunities. Watching all this motivated me to work for the betterment of sports in my community.
What do you think the world needs more of/less of right now?
I guess love and friendship are all we need in this difficult time. To understand each other and work together towards the betterment and well-being of our community.
What can people here do to support the women in Pakistan?
The women in Northern Pakistan have immense talent, but they lack opportunities. I want to create opportunities for them so that they don’t give up on their dreams. Working together would help me and my team achieve the goals. Helping us develop the football ground is what we look forward to — or supporting us in collaborating with different football clubs from other parts of the world.