PESHAWAR: Wagma Feroz, a young woman rights activist and film-maker hailing from Mohammad tribal district, has recently earned international Stefanus Prize in recognition of her outstanding contribution to promoting human rights.

She says that any social or political change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would remain incomplete without women’s participation.

After prominent rights activist late Asma Jahangir, Ms Feroz became the second Pakistani woman to win this prize. She has been working for promotion of interfaith harmony and woman rights since 2010 when she was a university student.

The Stefanus Prize, given biannually to rights activists, was set up in 2005 by Stefanus Alliance International, a Norway-based NGO, and late Asma Jahangir had received this prize in 2014.

Wagma Feroz says any change in KP without women’s participation to be incomplete

Wagma Feroz is the first woman from KP to grab this prize in a ceremony held last week in Oslo, Norway. Last year, she had won the first prize for a documentary titled ‘she makes everything beautiful’, focused on empowering women, given to her by a US-based organisation.

Earlier, she has been working on issues such as child marriage, right to education and mental health. She has been heading an organisation ‘Da Torsaro Sadar’ (cover for women) to address women’s issues.

She had been engaged in raising awareness among women in tribal areas through theatre and from the last three years through digital storytelling and documentary and short film-making on religious freedom, interfaith harmony and human rights.

“This award is not only for me, but also for all the women and men who suffered pain and hardships along the way and never lose the hope. Despite all the differences of religion, colour, race and ideology, we can peacefully coexist in this world that is our shared home,” she said.

Wagma Feroz said she had been focusing on women-related issues in Swat and tribal districts.

“This is an endless struggle and women should stand up for their rights. I advise young university students to muster courage to work for a substantive change in society. Presently, I am working on some other aspects of religious freedom and women’s issues, including gender inequality, domestic violence and access to quality education,” she said.

Published in Dawn,June 13th, 2022