MG Apparel Knows that ‘Empowered Women Empower the World’
In Pakistan, women comprise 49 percent of the population, but in the South Punjab manufacturing region, workplaces weren’t necessarily female friendly. To shift that paradigm, global manufacturing powerhouse Mahmood Group, in business for eight decades, launched MG Apparel in 2021 with a progressive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mission tacked onto its environmentally committed ESG one.
Anees Khawaja, CEO of MG Apparel, underlined the significance of their vision: “Creating ample opportunities for women is critical, not just for our region but also for the country. MG Apparel aims to amplify its responsibility as a business by focusing on women empowerment and sustainability. Being the torch bearer in the region for paving the way for women’s economic empowerment, Mahmood Group is now following MGA practices.”
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The first step was to get women hired and trained—not just in digital literacy or job skills like embroidery, but also in lifestyle skills that would contribute to underprivileged communities. This involved internal programs as well as partnerships or collaborations with local organizations. A sampling includes: kitchen gardening workshops, beekeeping, greening local mosques through solar installations, planting trees, supporting women’s sports and helping local entrepreneurs.
Khawaja remarked on the transformative nature of these initiatives: “These efforts have been instrumental in empowering the women of South Punjab, enabling them to realize their dreams, contribute to the economy, and achieve financial independence. Empowered women empower the world.”
The effort has paid off. MG Apparel received the 2022 Gender Diversity Award, offered jointly by the IFC – International Finance Corporation and The Pakistan Business Council, and the company holds workshops on Gender Equality for the industry at large. MG Apparel plans to hire 1,000 women a year, growing its 2,000-female workforce to 3,000 in just its second year of business.
“The company’s HR policies and other initiatives have all been thoughtfully crafted with the goal of maximizing their impact toward the promised objective,” said Khawaja. This includes everything from a bias-free recruitment process and equal wages to state-of-the-art health, hygiene products, fitness gyms, cost-free childcare, maternity leave and inclusive transportation services. Paternity leave even takes the stigma off maternity leave. Ongoing gender sensitivity programs help both men and women address their “unconscious biases” toward each other, with a robust checks and balances to avoid any harassment.
Khawaja admitted the initial challenges: “The region lacked women-friendly workplaces. Hence, we hired raw talent and trained them for six months to develop them into skilled artisans. Our aim was to create the most sustainable and efficient plant in South Punjab, with zero negative environmental impact. “
Sustainability and traceability
While MG Apparel focuses heavily on internal and external social efforts, the manufacturer’s underlying effort is on sustainable production and innovation for its denim and non-denim apparel products alike.
En route to a more sustainable future, MG Apparel has signed the commitment pledge for Science Based Targets. It has also pledged to go carbon-free by 2050 in association with NET ZERO Coalition.
Energy efficient systems has earned the state-of-the-art facility 87 points, making it the highest-rated LEED Platinum project in Pakistan and the first ever from South Punjab. These include solar energy installations producing 23 MW for the entire group, rainwater harvesting, effluent treatment plants, Tonello machines that save water by 45 percent, electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to encourage green vehicles, open green areas/lawns, natural daylight and well-ventilated interior spaces, Miyawaki Forest that naturally filters the air in and around the MG Apparel facilities, and smart building management systems.
As a vertically integrated organization, Mahmood Group (MG) handles every step of the textile production process—from farming and ginning to spinning, weaving and garment manufacturing.
“With the formation of MG Apparel, we’ve amplified our commitment to digital transparency and traceability even further—it’s central to our mission,” said Khawaja.
The company developed proprietary traceability software to support its goal of transforming the lives of farmers working across approximately 2,000 acres of cotton lands in remote areas of South Punjab and Balochistan. Such detailed traceability will be easily accessible to MG Apparel’s customers—simply by scanning a code on the garment. Moreover, every garment produced at MG Apparel is equipped with an RFID-based tracking system, further ensuring precise traceability.
MG Apparel has set ambitious expansion goals, with plans to extend its agricultural reach to 10,000 acres within two years (and 50,000 acres within five years). This pledge ensures comprehensive traceability for our customers, connecting each stage from the cotton farmer to the end garment user.
“We’re also deeply proud of our efforts in cultivating organic cotton in underprivileged regions of Balochistan. We’re anticipating successful yields from a 500-acre plot dedicated to this initiative within the current season. Through these initiatives, MG Apparel is continuously redefining standards for transparency, traceability and social impact in the textile industry,” said Khawaja.
On the raw materials side, MG Apparel is one of the few companies not just in Pakistan but in the world working on Virgin Color Cotton, which can be processed directly on some traditional cotton fiber equipment. The cotton’s natural waxes provide a lubrication that is beneficial when compared to bleached cotton fibers similarly processed. “Our Virgin Color Cotton is in its purest form, completely untreated from seed to yarn, providing naturally smooth and hypoallergenic garments,” said Khawaja.
MG Apparel will have the opportunity to show its manufacturing prowess at Kingpins New York, July 19-20, 2023, where it will be exhibiting for the second time. The company will showcase six collections in a diverse range of apparel including chinos and denim. “MG Apparel looks forward to networking, exploring business opportunities, and expanding our international market reach at this event,” said Khawaja.
For more information on MG Apparel, click here.
