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PAKISTAN doesn’t fare well on indices related to gender gap and women’s empowerment. The damning statistics include the number of girls who are out of school, the wide gender digital divide, high rates of violence against women, and women’s low representation in private and public leadership positions.
However, over time, there have been significant advances for Pakistani women leaders. Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s sister, Fatima Jinnah, was a key figure in Pakistan’s independence movement. She later became a presidential candidate, derided by the dictator Gen Ayub Khan. When Benazir Bhutto was elected prime minister in 1988, Pakistan became the first Muslim-majority country to be led by a woman. Pakistani women have led movements against dictators, including generals Ayub, Zia and Musharraf. Asma Jahangir was the first woman to be elected president of the Supreme Court Bar Association. Begum Naseem Wali Khan was the first woman to win a general election seat in the country. Justice Ayesha Malik is the first woman Supreme Court judge. Currently, Maryam Nawaz is the first woman chief minister in Pakistan.
Trans women have also made their mark, with Aisha Mughal being the first to represent a country at a UN session. Recently, Nayyab Ali was nominated for a civilian award by the government.
