Emitting empowerment from behind veil: Tale of Assam's Fatima Anfar soaring high in Dubai 

Time and again the veil, hijab, or Burkhas have been seen as a patriarchal way of negating the male gaze. Also, it developed a mentality that perhaps women behind the veils are oppressed and have a lesser amount of freedom than the ones who do not do it.

Breaking these myths, a woman hailing from Assam has proved that being behind the veil doesn't necessarily define empowerment. Having her roots in Assam, Fatima Anfar was born and brought up in Mumbai. She moved to Dubai in 2003 where she became a part of a successful perfume business.

In an exclusive interview with InsideNE, Fatima Anfar delves deeper into women empowerment, career, and about herself.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I’m from Assam. My parents, my grandparents are from Assam. I was born and brought up in Mumbai. I moved to Dubai in 2003, and since then I’ve been living here.

I’ve been married for 10 years now and I have 3 daughters aged 8, 3, and 6 months old.

I have completed my education here in Dubai, I have done an undergraduate course in business studies and I have done my majors in marketing. I have done all that while being a working mom from home and let me tell you how. Online studies have been available pre-Covid too.

I have also done an undergraduate program in Islamic Studies in English ( which we say aalima course in India)

It’s a comprehensive study of the Islamic Sciences.

What inspired you to be in this business?

Since childhood, I have always seen the women in my family working like my grandmother and my aunt but, my grandmother (Dadi) truly inspired me. I used to visit Assam At least once or twice a year. I used to see my grandmother walking around her factory, keeping accounts, planning the work for the day and it used to astonish me seeing her literally the only woman in a male-dominant business. She used to deal in purchases and sales and I’m talking about the 90s here where people weren’t so open-minded. It was like a one-woman show and since then whenever I was asked as a child what do I want to become when I grow up, my answer would be “businesswoman”. And I knew back then too that, I want to be in the fragrance industry as well.

The best thing is that my late grandfather, Haji Anfar Ali Sahab, has started the business of perfumes in the 1950s and he was the one to encourage my grandmother to handle the business and start-up business of her own. Considering this that he was from a time where the mentality was so backward and yet, he was so broadminded and he wanted my grandmother to be independent and I think without this push and support my grandmother might not have been able to stand where she is today.

What are the challenges you had to face to reach this stage?

The biggest challenge was being consistent. As a woman, we play several roles but most importantly Role of a daughter, wife, and mother and then trying to build your own business and identity in the business world along with that? It’s total chaos but it’s not impossible.

My father had dreams that I wanted to fulfill at any cost. He wanted me to continue studying and working after getting married. I was one of that lucky woman who had a very supportive husband and very supportive in-laws. My husband is a South African national but of Indian origin. Alhamdulillah, I’m blessed to have the best in this matter. My in-laws always supported me to finish my education and work and do as I please. I continued to study 6 years after getting married too.

Consistency is key. It’s never easy.

Finding balance and then maintaining that balance was the biggest challenge for me and it still is the biggest challenge for me to date.

I love cooking. I love organizing my house, decorating, spending quality time with kids, working. It’s not easy but we have to learn how to find a balance between both lives.

Your message to the women of Northeast or women in general?

My message is not only for women but, to all the women and their families out there too.

Please complete your education. Please let the daughters of your house study. Encourage them, motivate them to be independent.

To all families who have daughters-in-law,

Really, it is very fortunate to get married in a supportive household. When someone else’s daughter comes to your house, and you treat her as your own daughter, support her to continue working , the woman can really go very far ahead in life . All you have to do is think of her like your own daughter .

Don’t treat the woman like as if her only job is to look after the house , children and kitchen . Support them and give them their rights of freedom to explore in education and work field .

There are successful women out there who are doctors , pilots , engineers and so on .

There are countries that are run by a woman too like New Zealand , Germany , Denmark etc .

And another big live example in front of me is You . You yourself are a woman , you come on the big screen , people watch you, listen to you . You represent people from the society , you go places you do things and that is also another amazing example of a successful woman .

No work is big or small . I do understand that it’s easier said than done . I had a supportive family and I know that not everyone has this kind of privilege .

If you have business ideas , focus on it , try to start from something small but Atleast try . Failing is part of a success journey . Just don’t give up without trying . You never know you might just be the next successful woman out there . You might end up being an example for many .

From the women in hijab to the women on top- how was the shift?

Well , if you look at it I still am the woman in hijab . That being said , your attire cannot define what you can and cannot do in life . You can be in hijab and still achieve what you want in life . Hijab will not stop you from fulfilling your dreams or achieving your goals . Islam doesn’t stop a woman from working. It is the culture that stops . Hijab is not a prison .

I do meet my relatives family friends without the hijab at times . I do remove it where I feel comfortable to . I’m not the perfect example of it .

Hijab makes me feel good , which I choose to wear myself without anyone telling me to.

Also , if everyone follow the true rulings of their religion , the world will be a better place . Whether Hinduism , Islam , Christianity etc , all religion only promote peace . So , I really wish everyone along with worldly education , should learn about their religion too . The core value of every religion is PEACE .

Was it more challenging because you belonged to minority?

Honestly , belonging to minority wasn’t the biggest challenge . Probably because I live in a place right now where it’s a norm to see women who are successful , independent and climbing ladders of success . And most importantly I think we are in an era now where it is not absurd (to most people I believe ) to see a working woman anymore .

I will say initially it was more like an awkward feeling that okay! I’m the only woman talking here but , that made me more confident because i was being heard .

What role does family support plays in your career?

Very big role . I don’t think I would be where I am today without family support . Regardless of gender , male or female , family support plays a very important role in one’s career .

I still remmeber I was this 16 year old kid trying to make money with every opportunity I got and let me tell you I kept failing with every attempt . Why was I trying so hard ? Because , even though my father could’ve provided me with luxury and cash , he never did . I still remmeber until the age of 16 my monthly allowance was 300 dirhams ! During those days according to currency rate it was 3500 Indian rupees per month ! And Dubai is an expensive city . There was no way I was not going to do anything about it . My father said , you want more money ? Earn it . Work for it . Nothing comes for free . As your father I’ll provide you with all necessities but 300 dirhams is enough for your entertainment purpose.

I was studying and I didn’t start working physically back then . I used to keep telling my father that is there any products you need for the company ? Can I source something for you ? And he would give me his lists .

So I found this B2b website on the internet back in 2009 , something like Alibaba . I tried looking up for products he needed but, there was a membership fee to join . It was $1000 I still remmeber . I was very nervous when I approached my father , I thought he would say no but, to my surprise he said Yes ! That membership was a jumpstart for my career and guess what my father said ? Make sure you earn this money and give it back to me . It’s a loan . Or else , I’ll cut the amount from the monthly allowances . That was risky but worth the risk I said .

And that’s it ! I found products online . I sourced products that were difficult for him to find and , my father became my biggest customer . And then I found more customers and suppliers and so on .

And not to forget In my first deal I made $2000 profit from which I had to return the $1000 membership fee for which my father had paid.

I was working from home and making money at the age of 16. I still remmeber my father used to boast about me to my brothers . It was very natural that my brothers we are all close in age and it wasn’t very normal to be worried about making money at that age.

Fast forward , after marriage , I got a very supportive husband who never stopped me from working or doing things of my own . I have very supportive in laws . They thought of me like their own daughter .

My husband always encouraged me and supported me to finish my studies and work too .

After having my first child , I would’ve given up because motherhood was consuming me , but we did co parenting , and it never felt like it’s only my job to look after our children . He’s an amazing father and role model to our daughters .every morning I used to leave my 3 month old baby at home to go to the institute . It was a 40km drive to go and 40km to come . My husband has his own business too so he used to leave for work . My in laws used to look out for my daughter while I wasn’t at home ,

If I didn’t have that kind of support , There was no way I could do it .

So back to family support , that jumpstart I had gotten with that membership . If I hadn’t gotten that from my father , or if he hadn’t pushed me to try and work, or if my husband hadn’t continued supporting me to fulfill my dreams , I don’t think I would’ve gotten to where I am today . A happy woman can go very far ahead in life .

What are your future plans?

My father has started his dream project already of introducing education for women in very rural areas where there is no easy access for education .I want to participate with him and be an active member for this noble cause . It my desire to empower women . I’m working on it .

Empowering education runs in our family .

There is also a college run by my uncles and my father which goes by the name of Haji Anfar Ali College .

My elder brother Abdullah Anfar too has been working on my fathers dream , to build a hospital where there will be charitable treatments for those In need .

Recently , my uncle Faruque Anfar , his son Aslam Anfar got married and his wife Aisha , she’s a doctor . She’s still continuing to study after marriage too .

It is a vision and mission now , to build the hospital and for her to be able to supervise and manage it .

It is my heartily desire to do social services and empower women like how my father and my uncles have continued to do after the demise of My Late grandfather Haji Anfar Ali Sahab .