Women of Pakistan - Jazbah.org


Sabiha Sumar: Working for the Arts and Women’s Rights After talking to Sabiha Sumar, I felt not only inspired but also extremely hopeful. As long as there are dedicated and bold women like Sabiha doing their work, the fight for women’s rights is not lost in Pakistan or among Pakistanis living all around the world... more
Interview with Sharmeen Obaid "I think it is very important for people who come from my part of the world, South Asia, to initiate a dialogue with people who come from this part of the world, the West. And because I am a product of both Pakistan and the United States, in terms of education, I have an understanding of where people come from on both sides ... more"
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Site last updated on: 04-May-2004

Jazbah (Jäzbäh) is an Urdu word which means dedication or passion for a cause. This site is devoted to all those women of Pakistan who have worked hard to achieve great goals and made significant, positive impacts on Pakistani society.

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The purpose of this Web site is to honor the achievements of Pakistani women. We will add to the list of profiles each month by introducing different Pakistani women achievers living across the globe. They have inspired us with their determination and delighted us with their talents. As Pakistanis and as members of the greater world community striving for peace, we must acknowledge that an educated and successful woman can be a pillar of strength not only for her country but for the rest of the world.

Editor's Note:

In recent years several Pakistani women filmmakers have made a name for themselves internationally. Sabiha Sumar and Sharmeen Obaid are among them. In this issue of Jazbah.org, we talk to both of them about their work and their efforts to raise awareness among both Pakistani and Western audiences.

Also in this issue, Uzma Rizbi reviews two important books regarding different aspects of lives of Pakistani women. Taboo is Fauzia Saeed's acclaimed book on the lives of women from the famous red light district in Lahore's Shahi Mollah. In Between Chaddor and the Market, Jasmin Mirza analyses the phenomenon of ever increasing number of lower middle-class Pakistani women joining the workforce and the struggles they face at their workplaces.

As always, we welcome constructive criticism and positive feedback. Thank you for visiting Jazbah.org!

© Jazbah.org 2008. All articles, interviews, and essays posted on this Web site are copyright protected. None of the articles and essays may be reused or copied without the explicit consent of the author and the organizers of Jazbah.org. For more information please contact: inform AT jazbah.org

Working women in Pakistan
Uzma Rizvi reviews Taboo and Between Chaddor and the Market
The interviews and analysis provided by Saeed focus on socialization of the people who work and live in Shahi Mohalla and power dynamics within that socioeconomic framework.

Mirza’s aim is to analyze the labor market integration of lower-middle class woman coming into the office sector of the work force in Pakistan. A very intriguing phenomenon as a vast majority of these women come from Muslim conservative households. ...more