Swat women rights activist wins Nelson Mandela award

Published April 30, 2016
TABASSUM Adnan, the winner of the Nelson Mandela-Graca Machel Innovation Award for the year 2016.—CIVICUS Alliance
TABASSUM Adnan, the winner of the Nelson Mandela-Graca Machel Innovation Award for the year 2016.—CIVICUS Alliance

MINGORA: Tabassum Adnan, a women rights activist from Swat valley, has won the Nelson Mandela-Graca Machel Innovation Award 2016.

She received the award on Thursday — the concluding day of the International Civil Society Week (ICSW) held from April 25 to 28 in Bogota, Colombia.

This year the awards were given in the categories of youth activists, individual activists, civil society organisations and brave philanthropy.

Tabassum won the award in the individual activist category.

Talking to Dawn from Colombia soon after receiving the award, Tabassum said she dedicated her award to her beloved country, Pakistan. “I am grateful to everyone who supported me in my cause to fight for the rights of women in the country. Today, being a Pakistani woman here I feel proud to earn a good name for my country,” she said.

Tabassum has also received the 2015 Secretary of State’s International Women of Courage Award in recognition of her untiring efforts and services for women’s rights.

She founded the first-ever women jirga – Khwendo Jirga (sisters’ council) – in 2013 and has since been actively working against women rights violations. She successfully stopped several cases of Swara (the practice of giving women as compensation for crimes) and violence against women.

Other winners of the Nelson Mandela Award are: Smriti Nagpal from India in youth category, Divest-Invest (represented by Ellen Dorsey) in brave philanthropy category and Sierra Leone Medical Students Association (represented by Dr Asad Naveed) in organisation category.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2016

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.