Board Member
I have 18 years of education, pursued through two masters’ degrees in Gender studies (Gold
Medallist) and Islamic Studies from prestigious universities of Pakistan. In addition, I bring 22 years of diverse
experience concentrated mainly in the fields of women, children and human rights, research, advocacy, program and
partnership management and disaster risk reduction and preparedness. Having designed, led and managed numerous
seminal and complex research studies, assessments and evaluations focused on gender discrimination, gender parity
in education, child marriages, sexual harassment at workplace and violence against women. I joined Women’s
Action Forum (WAF) over 20 years ago, served as secretary of its Islamabad chapter and have been part of feminist
movement in the country since then. I had been actively advocating for women, children and human rights through
participation in seminars, protests, walks and conferences as well as through researches and publications. I was a
proud member of the ActionAid team that initiated situational analysis about sexual harassment at work place in
2003, which led to the development of Code of Conduct at the Workplace. Subsequently, we lobbied with and
trained parliamentarians and created Alliance Against Sexual Harassment at the Work Place (ASHA), which gained
sufficient momentum and support for the enactment of “Women Protection Act” by the National Parliament in 2010.
My long and close association with and contribution to most of the notable rights related forums and years of work
with development sector organizations has helped me to gain in depth understanding about the actors, forces and
motives which sustain structural patriarchy and other discriminations in the country. Likewise, both my activism and
scholastic work have immensely contributed to my insight about the causes as well as the effects of all forms of
discrimination and inequality on the lives of people and the social fabric of the society – especially the oppression
and subjugation faced by underprivileged rural and urban women of Pakistan.
My key professional skill-set:
Gender inclusive development proficiency
• Research design and implementation
• Monitoring and evaluation
• Research and development
• Documentation and communication
• Program management, implementation
• Business development
• Strategy development
• Emergency program management
• Advocacy, campaigning and mobilization
• Training design and delivery
• Partnership management
• Networking and alliance and partner support
• Team leadership
● Strong thematic focus on women and human rights, child rights, gender and marginalized communities