There are many inspiring women in Pakistan who have made significant contributions to their communities their country and the world. Here is a list of some of the most notable women from Pakistan and their works:
- Malala Yousafzai == activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.
- Benazir Bhutto == former Prime Minister of Pakistan the first woman to head a Muslim state.
- Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy == documentary filmmaker and journalist the first Pakistani to win two Academy Awards.
- Aisha Sarwari == entrepreneur and social activist co founder of the ‘Women in Technology’ organization.
- Mukhtar Mai == women’s rights activist advocate for survivors of gender based violence.
- Asma Jahangir == human rights lawyer and activist former President of the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan.
- Amna Buttar == education advocate and CEO of the Punjab Education Foundation working to provide quality education to underprivileged children in Pakistan.
- Nadia Jamil == actress and disability rights activist working to promote inclusiveness and equal opportunities for people with disabilities in Pakistan.
- Samina Baig == mountaineer the first Pakistani woman to summit Mount Everest.
- Farida Shaheed == human rights activist and advocate for women’s rights former head of the non profit organization Shirkat Gah.
- Zohra Yusuf == social activist and human rights advocate former Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
- Asifa Lahore == drag queen LGBT rights activist and performer.
- Muniba Mazari == artist motivational speaker and advocate for women’s rights and disabilities.
- Maryam Nawaz Sharif == politician and daughter of former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif.
- Mariyam Bibi == farmer and social activist working to promote women’s rights and sustainable agriculture in Pakistan.
- Saba Qamar == actress and television host known for her work in the Pakistani entertainment industry.
- Attiya Dawood == lawyer and human rights activist founder of the Dawood Foundation working to promote women’s rights and education in Pakistan.
- Uzma Alkarim == businesswoman and CEO of the clothing brand ‘Uzma Boutique’ working to promote entrepreneurship and women’s empowerment in Pakistan.
- Fehmida Riaz == poet writer and feminist activist known for her contributions to Urdu literature.
- Tehmina Durrani == author and human rights activist known for her work advocating for women’s rights and social justice in Pakistan.
- Hina Jilani == lawyer and human rights activist former United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary General on Human Rights Defenders.
- Ayesha Tammy Haq == television host journalist and writer known for her work as a commentator on social and political issues in Pakistan.
- Samar Minallah Khan == filmmaker and anthropologist known for her work documenting the lives and struggles of women in rural Pakistan.
- Khadija Siddiqi == lawyer and women’s rights advocate known for her work fighting for the rights of women and children in Pakistan.
- Rubina Feroze Bhatti == politician and social activist former Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan and the first female mayor of Faisalabad.
“No nation can rise to the height of glory unless women are side by side with you”
-Mohammad Ali Jinnah
Pakistan is a male dominated country, where seldom power is shared with women. Being an Islamic country, women are given respect but again in a society ruled by men it is rather difficult for women to take control and prosper as individuals.
With time women in Pakistan have started to come out of the four walls of their homes and in many fields they are giving men a run for their money. Sexism is still very common and its one of the biggest hindrances in the path of the modern woman. Even with these problems some women have succeeded in being the exceptions and have broken the barriers of women oppression in Pakistan.
Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is the first Pakistani who won the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. She also won an academy award and an Emmy. This daughter of Pakistan reached for the stars and got them. She gave Pakistan its first Oscar.
Families are now realizing the fact that education for a girl is as important as it is for a boy and so they are providing their daughters with the best education they can afford .This support has given the women the encouragement they needed to work hard and pursue their goals.
“She made broken look beautiful
and strong look invincible.
She walked with the Universe
on her shoulders and made it
look like a pair of wings.”
― Ariana Dancu
Another Pakistani woman known as Mashall Chaudhri, through her relentless effort has provided the low income families of Pakistan with a better future. Her main goal has been to make computer studies accessible to all kinds of families. She is the pioneer of the Operations of Reading Room project. The computer studies help the people to rise up from the slums and give them skills to find better jobs.
Salma Habib is a teacher who works with the children from Karachi slums. She teaches her students to use art as a way to express themselves. She aims to work with the children and to give them resources that will enable them to find and develop their skills.
The women in Pakistan are also valuable members of Pakistan’s military and defence. Ayesha Farooq is Pakistan’s first female pilot. She surpassed all the taboos that women cannot be soldiers. She is an inspiration and a role model to young girls.
Shaheen Waqar is the founder of the organization known as Women Aid Trust. This organizations goal is to provide vocational training to women in prison such as computer classes and sewing. Their aim is to encourage and motivate these convicts to change their way of life and to strive for a better, brighter future.
Many like the women discussed in the article have made Pakistan proud, for if she is strong enough to bear a child, she is strong enough to swing a sword.
“A strong woman builds her own world. She is one who is wise enough to know that it will attract the man she will gladly share it with.”
― Ellen J. Barrier, How to Trust God When All Other Resources Have Failed
