Rights activist honoured with Global Citizen award

Published September 28, 2015
Syeda Ghulam Fatima attends the Clinton Global Citizen Awards. -AFP
Syeda Ghulam Fatima attends the Clinton Global Citizen Awards. -AFP
Syeda Ghulam Fatima. -Photo courtesy Humans of New York official page
Syeda Ghulam Fatima. -Photo courtesy Humans of New York official page

Syeda Ghulam Fatima, a Pakistani human rights activist was honoured on Sunday with a Global Citizen award in New York for her dedication to civil rights and labour laws in Pakistan.

Fatima is the elected general secretary of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) Pakistan.

The activist works for the compliance of the International Labour Organisation’s labour standards in Pakistan, and campaigning for the legal rights of brick kiln workers and female domestic staff working through out Pakistan.

Read: HONY helps raise 1.2 million dollars to end bonded labour in Pakistan

Fatima is also a member of the Provincial Committee for Abolition of Bonded Labour Punjab and the District Vigilance Committee.

During his recent visit to Pakistan, photo blogger Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York (HONY) coordinated with Fatima for the relief of bonded labour in Pakistan. HONY did a photo feature depicting Fatima’s struggle as an activist working towards the abolition of bonded labour in the country.

HONY termed Fatima as a modern day Harriet Tubman, and paid tribute to the rights activist who has been shot, beaten and electrocuted during her struggle for ending bonded labour, a form of modern day slavery. HONY’s images had such an impact, that people from around the world donated $2 million to BLLF.

Clinton Global Citizen Awards were established in 2007, and is meant to honour outstanding individuals who bring positive and lasting social change in their communities.

Opinion

Editorial

Hasty transition
05 May, 2024

Hasty transition

OUT of nowhere, the government has launched a new cybercrime authority: the National Cyber Crimes Investigation...
One small step…
05 May, 2024

One small step…

THERE is some good news for the nation from the heavens above. On Friday, Pakistan managed to dispatch a lunar...
Not out of the woods
05 May, 2024

Not out of the woods

PAKISTAN’S economic vitals might be showing some signs of improvement, but the country is not yet out of danger....
Rigging claims
Updated 04 May, 2024

Rigging claims

The PTI’s allegations are not new; most elections in Pakistan have been controversial, and it is almost a given that results will be challenged by the losing side.
Gaza’s wasteland
04 May, 2024

Gaza’s wasteland

SINCE the start of hostilities on Oct 7, Israel has put in ceaseless efforts to depopulate Gaza, and make the Strip...
Housing scams
04 May, 2024

Housing scams

THE story of illegal housing schemes in Punjab is the story of greed, corruption and plunder. Major players in these...