Freelancing For Women & Workplace Harassment Ft. Roshaan Sheikh

In this conversation I sit down with Roshaan Sheikh, a product designer and freelancer, and we talk about the messy, real stuff. Losing a parent young, building a career when the odds are stacked, and navigating workplace harassment as a woman in tech. This one is raw and honest, and I think you will see a bit of your own fight in her story.

Growing up quiet and losing her father

Roshaan describes herself as a serious, quiet child. “I was not very social,” she tells me. “I never really thought about what I wanted to do. It was just study, get good marks, show the family.” Her mother stitched clothes at home to support the family. Her father had a small textile business that never quite took off. Education was the one non-negotiable. Then, suddenly, her father passed away when she was in her second year of college. She had an exam the morning his funeral was held. “My family forced me to go. I went crying, and somehow I passed. At that time I did not even process what had happened. Later it hit me: this is a reality check. I have to do something.”

That loss became a turning point. She stopped drifting and started looking for a way to stand on her own feet.

The freelancing leap and learning to figure it out

After a brief stint in a contact center that left her drained, Roshaan stumbled into freelancing. A senior introduced her to graphic design. “He gave me one task and said, ‘This is the first and last time I am telling you. After this, you figure it out yourself.’ I was angry, but that one lesson made me independent.” She started designing Facebook covers and wallpapers, then moved into content writing. She was earning while still studying, and that feeling of making her own money was addictive. “I realized I could not depend on anyone forever. I had to feed myself, put myself out there.”

She also studied applied psychology alongside her computer science degree, but freelancing became her real classroom. She emphasizes that you do not need a specific degree to start. “You just need a skill, a laptop, and the willingness to work hard. The whole world is open. You can earn in dollars sitting at home.”

Women in tech and the confidence gap

Roshaan is clear about what holds many women back. “There is a confidence gap. Girls are often told, ‘You will get married and sit at home anyway.’ So they never even think of a career in tech.” She points out that freelancing has been a game changer for women who cannot leave the house, but the deeper issue is the belief that technology is not for them. “Technology is not just coding. It is design, it is writing, it is project management. There is room for everyone.”

She herself got selected for a global Women Techmakers fellowship, where she connected with women from different countries. “For the first time I felt, okay, the struggles are similar everywhere. We all want to learn, to grow. That exposure gave me so much confidence.”

Facing workplace harassment and finding her voice

This part of the conversation is heavy. Roshaan opens up about the harassment she faced at work. In interviews, she was asked, “Why should we invest in you? You will get married and leave.” In one company, she experienced daily bullying. “I would report small incidents every day. But the support was missing. The women around me, instead of standing together, would pull each other down. Commenting on clothes, gossiping. It was so isolating.”

She describes a toxic manager who would humiliate her publicly. “I started to believe I was the problem. I even began throwing things at home, I was so stressed. My mental health was destroyed.” When she finally resigned, the company threatened her with a legal notice. “I told them, send it. What will you blacklist me from? I have my skills. I will survive.” She credits one person who listened and validated her experience as the reason she did not break completely. “You need at least one person who believes you. That changes everything.”

She also addresses the fear many women have of speaking up. “Log kya kahenge, what will people say, that fear is real. People will blame you, say you are seeking attention. But staying silent only protects the abuser. It is hard, but you have to speak.”

Building community and owning her mistakes

Roshaan did not stop at freelancing. She started a design and freelancing community chapter in Pakistan, organizing meetups in Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar. “I had no idea about public speaking. I was forced to hold the mic because I was the host. It was terrifying, but I did it.” She admits she made mistakes. “I launched too fast, without proper mentorship. I failed, and I learned. Now I am rebuilding, slowly, with more clarity.”

She also mentors teenage girls through programs like Ignite Worldwide, teaching them skills and, more importantly, exposure. “We shelter our daughters too much. We do not teach them how to face the world. Then when they step out, they struggle. Confidence comes from exposure, from being allowed to fail and try again.”

Every setback is preparing you

Looking back, Roshaan sees how every hard moment shaped her. “At the time, you do not understand the value of what you are going through. But later you realize, each incident was making you stronger. I am a fighter because of all of it.” She is now a product designer, working on user experience and interfaces, and she still freelances. She is clear that her journey is not a straight line, and that is okay.

This conversation matters because so many of us are told our careers are temporary, our voices are too loud, and our dreams are secondary. Roshaan’s story is proof that you can lose a parent, face harassment, make mistakes, and still build a life on your own terms. It is not about being fearless. It is about being scared and doing it anyway.