My Story

Intro

Since women of rural areas of Pakistan in general have lower socioeconomic status, less mobility, a lack of access to information and lack of decision-making powerthey are more vulnerable to exploitation and HIV infections. By establishing Aware girls, a membership organization for girls aged 12- 29years, where young women can unite, strengthen their capacity, access to information, and can work for changing their communities and women empowerment.

About Me

I am 23 years old and currently doing my M.Phil in Biotechnology at the Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad-Pakistan.

I am founding member of Aware Girls, an organization of young women established to provide young women a platform for capacity building, networking, and advocacy; so they they can act as agents of women empowerment in their communities. I am also working as Co-Chairperson of Youth Advocacy Network on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Pakistan. From the platform of this network, I aim to promte sexual and reproductive health rights of young people not only at community level but also at policy level.

Activism for women empowerment and gender equality is my passion, and I want to become an entrepreneur to bring social change; change that will lead to young women empowerment and strengthening of women rights movement. The increasing religious millitancy/Talibanization and increased involvement of young people in the movement motivated me to work for peace promotion among young people in the society, so we started peace education for peer educators who are playing their role activley to educate young people on peace, tolerance, and pluralism.

I strongly believe that peace and sustainbale development is inextricably linked to equality between men and women; and therefore gendermainstreaming of the development and peace building process is very important. To contribute towards gender mainstreaming of peace building process I am working as member of Gender Working Group of UNOY Peace Building Organization. My hobbies are using facebook, talking to friends, gossips, SMS Chat with friends, and sleeping, and I wish reading books to be my hobby. I think my ability to think strategically, my passion to chang the society isntead of accepting the unjust systems and inequalities, my caring behaviour, and my collective approach ticks me a human being.

My Venture

Aware Girls aims to provide young women a platform young women a platform for capacity building, networking, and advocacy, enabling them to act as agents of women empowerment.

Aware Girls is an innovative initiative because at the time of establishment of Aware Girls, there were many organizations working for promoting women rights but there were none who specifically address young women issues and in which women are in leadership position. Therefore we felt intense need for a platform where young women can unite, strengthen their capacity, access to information, and can work for changing their communities and women empowerment.

Aware Girls is working for the promotion of human rights of young women, we aim to enable young women to involve in decision making, and to enable young women to have equal access to education, employment, health, education, and other social services through capacity building, awareness raising, advocacy, and dialogues.

Our previous Initiatives include providing HIV/AIDS education for reducing high risk sexual behaviors among young women in collaboration with the Global Youth Coalition Against HIV/AIDS; educating young women on family planning and safe motherhood; young women empowerment through capacity building in Micro-entrepreneurship with the support of World Bank Small Grants and a women rights leadership program for young women activists in collaboration with RISE- Rural Initiatives in Sustainability and Empowerment.

Since our launch with provided HIV/AIDS education to more than 700 young women and 60 teachers of 15 Schools and 5 colleges of District Swabi, established 20 Anti-AIDS clubs in the target schools and colleges with the involvement of 560 young women volunteers and 20 teachers and much more.