IN an inspirational message from the base camp of Nepal’s Mount Makalu, Pakistani mountaineer Naila Kiani stressed on the need to educate every girl in Pakistan. A few days later, she summited Makalu, her 11th peak over 8,000m. In doing so, not only did Naila become the first Pakistani woman to perform the feat, she also set a record in Pakistan, among both men and women climbers, for scaling 11 of the 8,000m peaks in the shortest period — under three years. Her success is made more remarkable by the fact that she has attained great heights despite being a working mother of two. Crucially, Naila is using her stature as the country’s most accomplished female mountaineer to talk about pressing social issues. Attributing her achievements to the fact that she had access to education — she has a degree in aerospace engineering — Naila has emphasised that women in Pakistan can achieve all they aspire to if they are equipped with the awareness that education brings with it. She has called upon the prime minister to allocate additional resources to students.

Sportspersons contributing to social causes is not a new phenomenon. With their reach, they can be role models for the next generation. It is hoped that the government will engage with Naila to promote girls’ education. Mountaineering was once considered the preserve of men but women climbers have broken stereotypes and societal barriers. During a recent workshop, Italian and Spanish mountaineering instructors taught girls from Swat how to use compasses and maps — a valuable first lesson for aspiring climbers. They shared stories of famous women climbers who had defied the odds to make their mark on the highest slopes. Perhaps their efforts will inspire the next generation of women climbers in Pakistan to follow in the footsteps of women like Naila and Samina Baig, whose feats show that women in the country can excel in all walks of life.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2024