In Pakistan, religious background is often one of the significant barriers in women’s educational attainment. Same was the case with Iqra Shah, an inspiring young lady who faced tough circumstances to fulfil her desire of getting formal education.
Being a resident of New Haji Camp, Sultanabad, Karachi and belonging to a strong Pashtun religious family who has been in religious teaching for more than two decades, it was real hard for Iqra to pursue formal education. The backward community of New Haji Camp, Sulatanabad made her contemporary access to schooling very difficult. But, Iqra’s mother always wanted her daughter to thrive and establish herself as a successful woman of society.
Iqra’s mother being her biggest pillar of strength helped her through many difficult moments of her life. Her mother faced criticism of family and relatives for letting her daughter join different NGOs. She wanted Iqra to join organizations for deep rooted professional experience which would shape her future. As NGOs’ employees often face negative criticism and so did Iqra. People used to say her that NGO would play with her mind and take her away from Islam. But she continue her struggle against such mentalities and completed her matriculation.
She qualified for a scholarship program titled ‘Azme Naujawan Program’. This program aimed to work with like-minded civil society partners which are passionate to work with youth. Her participation in the program became possible because of complete support of her brother. After successfully completing the program she started her first community development project titled ‘Social Action Project’ (SAP). Under this project she established a library for girls-only schools and provided free classes regarding self and personality development to them.
In 2018, Iqra came to know about scholarship program titled ‘The English Works!’, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad. The program improves the English language skills of unemployed or under-employed youth ages 17-25, while also enhancing entrepreneurial and technical skills to increase employability. She learned about modern 21st century skills, public speaking training and effective communication with global citizenship and woman empowerment.
This scholarship program remained very beneficial to Iqra as after returning from US, she gained employment opportunities. She worked with Charity Grocer during pandemic. She served as as an Assistant to Program Manager on their different donation drives and helped Afghan Pashtun and other woman with their food and health programs for one year.
She also served as PRCS-UNDP Project Trainer. She imparted disaster management and woman entrepreneurship training to woman on coastal areas of Sindh. These woman were all housewives and did not have any idea about business or entrepreneurship. Time period of these trainings was two months four days in each coastal city. Iqra’s experience of working with different NGOs turned out to be very positive as she became an independent woman. She started working as freelance Beautician and established her own social enterprise known as ‘Skin Care Studio Official’.
Currently she is running a funded program titled ‘I Can Voice’. She trains men and women with focus on countering gender-based violence and extremism. The program also focuses on building the foundation of these individuals to look the world from a different perspective where co-existence with different races, religions and ethnicities is a new normal!
You are indeed a beacon of light for all of Iqra. More power to you.
