“A strong woman knows she has strength enough for the journey, but
A woman of strength knows it is in the journey where she will become strong.”
Despite being a part of a traditional social environment, Pakistani women have consistently made a difference by defending their rights. As the world develops, an increasing number of individuals stand out and honor the nation with their accomplishments both at home and abroad. Women in this country have what it takes to be the best in their particular sectors, whether it be in sports, politics, business, or the arts. here is a list of Pakistani women who achieved new milestones in the previous year to recognize them and applaud their achievements.
Justice Ayesha A. Malik
In the 75-year history of Pakistan, Justice Ayesha A. Malik is the first female judge to be appointed to the Supreme Court. She was the only person from Pakistan to be included in the 10th edition of the British Broadcasting Cooperation’s list of 100 outstanding women from around the world.
Malik had been a judge of the Lahore High Court since March 2012 before being promoted to the nation’s highest court. She handed down a historic ruling last year banning the use of invasive tests on women in rape cases. Following Malik’s decision, the administrations of Punjab and Sindh issued directives to end the degrading practice.
Dr. Tasnim Ahsan
Pakistani women have demonstrated their aptitude in different sectors, as well as in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). The distinguished Endocrine Society’s Laureate Award for 2023 was given to Dr. Tasnim Ahsan, becoming the first Pakistani woman to do so.
One of the 12 medical professionals given the title this year was a doctor from Karachi. She was chosen for the “International Excellence in Endocrinology Award” in recognition of her accomplishments and contributions to the field of managing disorders caused by hormones.
Over 100 internal medicine doctors have received mentoring from the highly regarded endocrinologist, who has more than two decades of expertise in the area. He also continues to oversee endocrinology and diabetes specialist training. She currently serves as the endocrinology faculty’s secretary at Karachi’s College of Physicians and Surgeons.
Dr. Mahwish Sharif
In May 2022, Dr. Mahwish Sharif of Pakistan joined the tuberculosis ward at the Fatima Jinnah General & Chest Hospital in Quetta. He was the first deaf physician in Balochistan. After suffering hearing loss at the age of four, Sharif endured years of discrimination to complete medical school and be accepted as a doctor. The 25-year-old doctor hails from a small village in the Kachi area of central Balochistan.
According to Dr. Sadiq Baloch, the hospital’s medical director, “Mahwish has become a role model for our community where those with disabilities are even ignored by their own family members.” She has established a new standard that shows that persons with disabilities can achieve their goals.
Samina Baig
Samina Baig, a Pakistani mountaineer, became the first female Pakistani to ascend K2, the second-highest peak in the world, in July 2022. Due to the mountain’s challenging terrain, less than 20 women from throughout the world have so far reached the summit. One climber has perished while attempting to conquer K2 every five people, on average.
Baig, a native of Gilgit-Baltistan, is the first woman from Pakistan to summit Everest and the Seven Summits. Following her successful ascent of Everest in 2013, she received the government’s “Pride of Performance” medal. The chief minister of Gilgit Baltistan appointed Baig to be his advisor on tourism, athletics, and culture last year.
Perniya Khan
The 18-year-old Pakistani table tennis champion is Perniya Zaman Khan.
The talented WAPDA player won the championship by outlasting fellow WAPDA player and former National Champion Aisya Sherjeeal in a nail-biting 4-3 final.
Naila Kiani
Naila Kiani, a Pakistani mountaineer based in Dubai, became the first Pakistani woman to reach the top of Gasherbrum-1, the eleventh-highest mountain in the world at 8080 meters. Around 7:45 a.m. Pakistan time, Naila scaled G-1.
She has now conquered three peaks higher than 8,000 meters, all of which are located in Pakistan, becoming the first woman from Pakistan to do so. There are fourteen such peaks in the world.
Before climbing 8611m, K2, the second-tallest peak in the world, last month, Naila, a mother of two, had reached the top of 8034m, Gasherbrum-1, the world’s 13th-highest mountain, in 2021. She was the second person to climb K2 on the same day after Samian Baig, the first female Pakistani to do so
Shafiqa Iqbal
Shafiqa Iqbal, a 24-year-old data engineer, joined Google Poland’s Warsaw office this year. From a pool of 1,300 applicants, she was reportedly the only Pakistani hired.
Iqbal received her degree from Punjab University and was employed by Google through LinkedIn while she was working as a data engineer in Lahore. While working in the sector herself, she was taking part in open-sourced initiatives like writing on data engineering.
While serving as the Global Ambassador of Women in Tech for Pakistan, the engineer was also a top-rated seller on Upwork. She extols her prowess in logical programming, database migrations and development, ETL pipelines, and backend development.
Ayla Majid
In November 2022, Pakistani Ayla Majid was named vice president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), making history as the region’s first female vice president. In the 118-year history of ACCA, this was a first.
ACCA Pakistan stated on its official Twitter account that Ayla is “extremely dedicated to promoting the role of women in government.” “Ayla actively promotes women on boards and is a proponent of board diversity. She was the first woman to hold a board position at a Pakistani stock exchange.
Majid joined ACCA in 2006 and has been a member of the global council since 2014. He is the founder and CEO of the sustainable energy and sustainability advice firm “Plaintive.”
Amna Baig
In January of last year, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Amna Baig took her oath as a sub-divisional officer.
The Danish ambassador to Pakistan gave her the Integrity Icon Award in recognition of her efforts to promote gender equality and make positive changes in Islamabad.
Anita Karim
Pakistan’s first-ever female mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Anita Karim. She won her fight against Australia’s Uyen Ha by a unanimous decision under the banner of Fairtex Fight Promotion at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok
According to details the 25-year-old fighter, who hails from Hunza, made light work of her opponent and dominated all three rounds of the bantamweight fight.
Saira Malik
Saira Malik, a Pakistani-American, has been named chief investment officer (CIO) of “Nuveen,” a renowned international asset management company. Malik oversees the $1.2 trillion fund managed by Nuveen’s weekly market and investing observations.
Additionally, she writes a quarterly market commentary in her capacity as the Chair of the Equities Investment Council (EIC).
A listed portfolio manager for the over $30 billion CREF Growth and over $20 billion CREF Global Equities strategies, Malik is also the lead portfolio manager for the over $120 billion CREF Stock strategy. She also oversees a $5 billion global stock portfolio alone.
Sarooj Sajid Hussain
Sarooj Sajid Hussain, a young Pakistani athlete, brought honor to his nation this year by earning a gold medal in table tennis at the Saudi Games.
She stated that her next goal was to compete for Pakistan in the Olympics and other international competitions and bring home gold for the nation.
The Pakistani ex-pat began playing table tennis when she was seven years old and won three medals in various events in the Kingdom before making history in 2022. Hussain competed for Pakistan’s army and earned gold at several national events.
Arooj Aftab
Pakistani singer Arooj Aftab has just won the first Grammy Award for herself and for Pakistan.
In the Best Global Performance category, the Brooklyn-based Pakistani singer won the Grammy for her song “Muhabbat.”
Bismah Maroof
On the nation’s 75th Independence Day, Bismah Maroof, the captain of Pakistan’s women’s cricket team, received the prestigious Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, the fourth-highest civilian honor in the nation. She gained notoriety in June 2022 for amassing the most runs for the women’s cricket squad in both ODI and T20I formats.
Maroof garnered attention when she carried her six-month-old child into the stadium before Pakistan vs. India ICC Women’s World Cup game.
Dr Sara Gill
Dr Gill has accepted a position as a house doctor at the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center in Karachi, becoming the nation’s first transgender physician (JPMC). She pledges to fight for the safety of the transgender community, especially when it comes to educational opportunities and rights.
Her future ambitions include obtaining a Fellowship of the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Endocrinology (the study of hormones) in an effort to integrate health-related difficulties experienced by transgender people in the nation’s medical curriculum so that they can be treated effectively.
Benish Hayat
Pakistan’s first-ever female hockey umpire, Benish Hayat, has been appointed to the umpire panel for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. She is the first female hockey umpire from the country to officiate at a mega event and is the only Pakistani umpire to be included in the umpire panel in the upcoming competition.
Benish is also an ex-hockey player and has played for Pakistan 10 times. She was on the 2006 Asian Games Qualifiers team and helped Pakistan get to the main tournament by finishing fourth in the qualifiers.
Hina Shoaib
The first woman from Pakistan, chef Hina Shoaib, took third place in an international chef competition held in Jeddah in the first quarter of 2022. She was presented with a bronze medal and certificate by senior chefs Thomas Gugler and Daniel Meyer.
Shoaib surprised the judges with her dish presentation at the Pakistan Pavilion during the competition. At the international competition, she received great recognition for her kabab paratha dish and the accompanying sauce.
Karishma Ali
The first female from Chitral to play both national and international football is 22-year-old Karishma Ali. Forbes has listed her as one of the 30 under 30.
The Chitral Women’s Sports Club, founded by Ali, is a training school for girls with the mission of inspiring other young girls in the area to participate in sports and other activities.
In order to promote Pakistan’s distinctive needlework, she participated in Milan Fashion Week as a result of her endeavor to open a handicraft center in Chitral.
Bina Shah
Bina Shah, a Female Pakistani Writer, well-known journalist, and author from Pakistan. She has received the prestigious Ordre des Arts et des Lettres award from France
According to the information, Shah received the honor at the Alliance Francaise, a French cultural center in Karachi, from Nicolas Galey, the French ambassador to Pakistan.
The French Embassy in Pakistan announced the honor on Twitter, stating that it was given in celebration of her talents as a writer and journalist, as well as her support of women’s rights and her love of the French language and culture.
