The Pakistan Women in Leadership Network is a subset of a wider network of Australia Awards alumni in South and West Asia committed to retaining relationships with Australia while actively promoting and supporting women’s development.
Discover what motivates Pakistan’s most active Australia Awards Women in Leadership Network members, as well as the work they do and the improvements they want to see in the nation.
1. 1. Bushra Rahim
1.1. Deputy Director—Ministry of Home & Tribal Affairs, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Educating and empowering women is one of the changes that I want to drive in Pakistan.
Bushra Rahim
1.2. Who inspires you?
In terms of politics, governance, and human rights, Benazir Bhutto, Asma Jahangir, and Margaret Thatcher stand out.
Bano Qudsia and Abida Parveen, for their enormous contributions to Urdu literature, spiritualism, and Sufi music, respectively.
Bilquis Edhi and Dr Ruth Pfau for their humanitarian efforts.
1.3. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?
One of the reforms I want to see in Pakistan is the education and empowerment of women. I also believe in peaceful coexistence, poverty reduction, and the pursuit of a clean and green environment.
1.4. Tell us more about you?
I am an avid reader who works to help impoverished and marginalised areas. In Peshawar, I was active in establishing free schools for street children. I also assisted in the establishment of skill development centres in the Mardan and Swabi Districts, where women may learn free stitching/tailoring and embroidery, as well as reading and numeracy, grooming skills, and social ethics. I am the third of six siblings, and I am blissfully single. I live with my parents, two brothers, and a niece.
1.5. Fields of work
- Public Policy
- Administration and Leadership
- Researcher
- Educationist
- Social Worker
1.6. Education
- MBA from City University of Science and Technology, Pakistan
- Master in Educational Administration and Policy from University of New England, Australia (made possible through an Australia Awards Scholarship)
- PhD from State University of New York at Albany, USA
1.7. Social Life – Bushra Rahim
2. 2. Farina Faisal
2.1. Deputy Director – Population Welfare Department, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
I dream of and work towards a Pakistan where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and everyone has fundamental rights.
Farina Faisal
2.2. Who inspires you?
Dr. Sania Nishtar has been recognised for her contributions to public health.
Dr. Najma Sultana, my former Technical Director.
2.3. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?
As members of my organisation, we aspire to and fight for a Pakistan in which every pregnancy is desired and every delivery is safe; a country in which everyone has fundamental rights.
We advocate for the availability of reproductive health services, particularly family planning. We also prepare human resources to provide these services. I also envision a Pakistan with a fully functional health insurance system.
2.4. Tell us more about you?
I am a happily married mother of three.
2.5. Fields of Work
- Educationist
- Educator
- Management and Leadership
- Social Worker
- Editor
2.6. Education
- MBBS from Khyber Medical, Peshawar University, Pakistan
- Master of Health Policy, University of Sydney, Australia (made possible through an Australia Awards Scholarship)
3. 3. Lubna Hashmat
3.1. CEO — Civil Society Human and Institutional Development Programme (CHIP)
I want to see a Pakistan where none of its people suffer from any form of deprivation.
Lubna Hashmat
3.2. Who inspires you?
Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, for her humble demeanour.
For her sacrifices, Fatima Jinnah.
Hazrat Khadija, for her commercial accomplishments.
Bilquis Edhi, for her hard work and dedication.
Dr Ruth Pfau, for her contributions to a social cause.
3.3. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?
I hope to see a Pakistan where all people are aware of their rights and duties and carry them out honestly; a country where Pakistanis are peaceful, honest, and civilised in all their actions, and no one suffers from any form of deprivation; and a country where people are prosperous and self-sufficient.
I want to push these changes in Pakistan, and I hope that with all of our hard effort, we will be able to achieve them one day.
3.4. Tell us more about you?
I work in Pakistan for the rehabilitation and inclusion of individuals with disabilities, women survivors of abuse, and extremely poor marginalised people. My work also includes immunising youngsters and pregnant women in remote locations of the country.
I am blissfully single and now reside with my parents, as well as overseeing the schooling and care of two of my nephews. I enjoy the outdoors, organic cuisine, walking, and trekking.
3.5. Fields of work
- Community Development
- Governance
- Research
- Institutional Development
3.6. Education
- Master in Development Administration from the Australian National University, Australia (made possible through an Australia Awards Scholarship)
- Master in Anthropology from the Quid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
3.7. Social Life – Lubna Hashmat
4. 4. Asmma Kamal
4.1. Deputy Director, Trade Development Authority of Pakistan
4.2. Ministry of Commerce, Government of Pakistan
Women who have overcome extraordinary challenges continue to inspire me.
Asmma Kamal
4.3. Who inspires you?
Women that help me discover the truth about myself and my life’s purpose greatly inspire me. Women who have overcome incredible hurdles, such as my mother, aunt, friends, and coworkers, continue to motivate and inspire me to do better and learn from their experiences.
I’m also a fan of Oprah Winfrey and her meteoric rise from obscurity to global superstardom.
4.4. What changes do you want to drive in Pakistan?
Through international commerce and human capital development, I hope to make a difference in Pakistan by promoting inclusive and gender-driven economic growth.
4.5. Tell us more about you?
I am the eldest of four children and thrive on developing deep relationships with individuals I admire and adore. In 2008, I passed the Civil Superior Services Examination and was assigned to the Ministry of Commerce’s Commerce and Trade Group.
I have a strong work ethic that I received from my father. I take pleasure in giving my all to whatever I do. I’ve been happily married to the love of my life since 2008 and have two adorable sons. Reading provides me with consolation, and people who know me claim I am an excellent chef.
4.6. Fields of Work
- Economic Growth
- International Trade Specialist
- Economist
- Economic Policy Practitioner
- Researcher
4.7. Education
- Master in International and Development Economics from the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australia
- Bachelor in Business and Information Technology from the Australian National University, Australia (made possible through an Australia Awards Scholarship)
- Bachelor of Business and Information Technology from the Institute of Business and Information Technology (IBIT), the University of the Punjab, Pakistan
4.8. Social Life – Asmma Kamal
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