Yearly Archives: 2022

Reclaiming Humanity – Nazia, A Sheedi Woman, Changing Attitudes Against Her Community

Tanzeela Qambrani was elected chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian (PPPP) women’s branch in Matli in 2017 and immediately she was met with a barrage of criticism in return; some even from members of the same political party. “These people clean our children’s shit and you want them to run us?” she quotes as…

Achieving Equality in An Unequal World – Kumar’s Journey as An Agent of Social Change 

The pain was evident in his voice as he was talking. On multiple occasions, he had experienced the crippling, demoralizing, and emotionally distressing effects of being a minority. He was reminded of his school days: once he had been barred from drinking water from a filter installed in his school; on another occasion, children refused…

Transcending Physical Limitations – Naeem’s Fight for Mainstreaming PWDs

From the very beginning, Naeem knew that something was wrong with his vision. Bit by bit, his ability to see was going away and none around him seemed to notice it until one day they realized that he had lost his eyesight. The fate he met was far from being inevitable or unavoidable. It could…

Sanam Faqeer: Engendering Hope Among the Transgenders of Sukkur

Born in the Sukkur district of Sindh, unlike other children of her age, Sanam Faqeer had a rather tough childhood because people felt she was different.  She had 10 siblings and was the ninth in the order of birth. She was doted upon by her parents and her five sisters, however, her four brothers could…

Nirma’s Murder – A Transwoman Failed by the Justice System

They are abandoned, disowned, and discarded without a bat of an eye by their own families – but when it comes to reaping their blood money as a result of their inhumane killing, all familial ties suddenly remerge. Such is the fateful story of a transgendered person Nirma, who was brutally murdered in Peshawar. While…

Beyond the Physical Infirmity: Kiran Ishtiaq – Manifesting Her Destiny

Kiran Ishtiaq from Cholistan was born without both her limbs. She has always despised when others look at her with pity and has taken it upon herself to prove to people that she is no different than them. Even though she is restricted to her wheelchair, she has tried to make the best of her…

Beating the odds: The Unfinished Story of Harvinder Devi

The struggle of Harvinder Devi continues to date, her journey of how far she has come over the years is an eye-opener for many. The challenges pitted against her started from her childhood and continued throughout her life. Yet, she tried to regain her resolve every time she was faced with a trial. Harvinder from…

Woman of Steel: The Undeterred Strength of Advocate Parveen Atta

In a patriarchal society like ours, women are discouraged from being independent, they are punished for trying to exercise their agency, are denied equal rights and their failure to comply with societal dictates can cost them their lives. Parveen Atta is a living embodiment of the societal unwillingness to accept a woman who chooses to…

Challenging the Status Quo: Tahira, The Relentless Young Woman of Baroghal

Belonging to the upper Chitral valley, Baroghal – Tahira begum (26) is the first educated woman in the valley. This is the story of sheer commitment and courage of a relentless woman who defied all boundaries to gain an education and make efforts to turn the tide of illiteracy in the valley of Baroghal. Her…

In the Shackles of An Abusive Marriage: Sakina’s encounter with Watta Satta

Sakina’s swollen face, bruised cheeks, and marks on her hands and feet point to the obvious – she has been subjected to domestic violence. Her ordeals are shared by many women in the country, and her story reflects and answers to an extent why women do not leave their abusive marriages. Sitting still with disheveled…