Pakistani novelist Alishba Khan Barech has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 “Women Changing the World Awards”, according to a press release issued on Friday.

The Women Changing The World Awards is a global programme recognising the work of “incredible women making a positive difference in the world across a range of industries and areas including business, sustainability, leadership, health, education, product development, innovation and technology”.

The award presented by Zimbabwean-American woman Dr Tererai Trent envisions empowering women to reclaim their sacred dreams, calling in women across the globe to unite and pave the way towards a better future for all.

According to a press release issued today, among 751 shortlisted nominations, Barech has been “selected as a finalist for the Young Woman of the Year Award, recognising her extraordinary contributions to literature, advocacy, and youth empowerment.”

It said that awards are designed to recognise the growing number of women leading the way in “making the world a better place for us”, inspiring other women to answer the call to take action.

“These exceptional women are here to awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams and inspire the women of the world to come together to forge a brighter path for all. The rising of women is the awakening of everybody,” Dr Trent said.

Barech, who belongs to Nushki in Balochistan, hoped to be the one who shapes the narrative associated with militancy regarding her hometown.

According to the press release, she is the youngest novelist and memoirist, having written her debut novel at 11, and beginning her memoir at 14.

It said that she is Pakistan’s youngest self-published author.

According to the press release, her journey extends beyond literature, having served as a Unicef Pakistan ambassador for polio eradication, a youth ambassador for mental health in Unicef’s On My Mind campaign, and has also been a youth ambassador for the Quetta Gladiators.

It said that she is serving as a youth advisor to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during Shehbaz Sharif and a member of the National Youth Council, stating that she has been awarded a Trailblazer Author by Unicef’s Girl of the Day campaign.

It said she is the first female Pashtun from Balochistan to earn a merit scholarship and acceptance into John Locke Summer University 2024.

As the prime minister’s youth advisor, “she serves as a bridge between marginalised communities and policymakers, ensuring her generation’s concerns are not just acknowledged but acted upon”, the release said.

She has also focused on amplifying her generation’s concerns, particularly the media blackout of Balochistan, it said.

“I want to recalibrate biases, uplift underrepresented voices, and drive meaningful change because when no road is laid out, I do not wait. I create one,” Dr Trent was quoted as saying. It said that she is “committed to continuing to make an impact through her work and her vision for the future is to rewrite narratives”.