Mawara Tahir
BBC on Wednesday revealed its list of 100 influential women 2019 from around the world amongst which one is from Pakistan. This year’s list sheds light on a variety of gallant women from diverse jobs, backgrounds, countries, worlds of activism, sports, entertainment, journalism and science.
Pakistan’s human rights lawyer, Jalila Haider makes it to the list for being one of the inspiring women in the world. Haider specializes in defending women’s rights in Pakistan and provides free legal services to impoverished women.
She is the pioneer of ‘We the Humans’, a non-profit association working with local networks to give opportunities to vulnerable women and children. She is the first female legal counselor from the persecuted Hazara community and, in 2018, had gone on a hunger strike to request protection for her community.
Sharing her feeling of joy, pride and gratitude Haider said, “Wow, this is an honour for me that I am among the BBC’s 100 women list for 2019 from Pakistan. I also want to congratulate Parveen Ahanger who is also on the list. More power to the brave women of Kashmir,” she wrote on Twitter.
“Looking back into the past leads to the realization that the entire politics of conflict, war and destruction is interconnected with patriarchy. Now is the time that the world should accept the future as female; [women] are the symbol of peace, fertility, creation and coexistence. Let the women lead,” Haider
Another brave woman amongst a hundred is the “Iron Lady of Kashmir”, Parveena Ahanger, who is a human rights activist from Kashmir and the founder of the Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons (APDP). After her child vanished during the 90s, Ahanger attempted her best to find him without much of any result.
Amidst of these powerful women are some eminent names also such as climate change activist Greta Thunberg, the fastest British woman in history Dina Asher-Smith and US congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Other prominent figures featured on the list include anti-up skirting campaigner Gina Martin, Oscar nominee Yalitza Aparicio and sumo wrestler Hiyori Kon.
The list focus on the question: “What would the future look like if it were driven by women?”
All the valorous women on the list are set to open new doors of a successful world led by women power and to put the patriarchy to an end.
