WHO WE ARE
MISSION
Assist women and marginalised communities across Pakistan and beyond to be more resilient, better informed, vocal visible and organised for inclusive and democratic societies in which everyone is free from violence, enjoys dignity, rights and quality services.
VISION
A just, democratic and gender equal society using resources sustainably.
TEAM
Our team consists of experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds led by our senior management, who collectively hold more than a decade’s experience of feminist activism and combine a theoretical and practical approach to achieve our goals.
Our Senior Management includes:
FARIDA SHAHEED
A founding member of Shirkat Gah, a social anthropologist, author and feminist activist, Ms. Shaheed has worked for more than 40 years in this field. She is the recipient of several national and international human rights awards. Her writings, with a special focus on the interface of culture, gender, religion and the state, have been published extensively. She received the Prime Minister’s award for her co-authored book, Two Steps Forward, One Step Back? Women of Pakistan. She also received the International Award UCLG – MEXICO City – Culture 21 Award in recognition of her untiring work as a researcher and rights activist. She has represented Pakistan and SG at various international forums. She also served as the first UN Special Rapporteur in the field of Cultural Rights (2009-2015).
HUMAIRA SHAIKH
Ms Shaikh is a feminist activist who has worked extensively on human rights issues, particularly for women and minorities in areas targeted by social and political turmoil such as Swat. She has led Shirkat Gah’s humanitarian and peace building efforts in such areas and closely monitors SG’s role in supporting women’s efforts to organise. She serves on the boards of several charities and charitable foundations.
GULNAR TABASSUM
Ms Tabassum is a feminist human rights activist and a filmmaker. She has directed several nationally and internationally lauded documentary films that have been used as advocacy tools to highlight the rights of women and minorities. These films have also chronicled the struggles and the triumphs of the marginalized women and minorities of Pakistan. As Director Leadership and Communications, she has trained hundreds of women to claim their civil and constitutional rights, become self-sufficient and unite to hold fast against oppression, whether it is in domestic or social settings.
HISTORY
Initiated as a small voluntary women’s collective in Pakistan in 1975, Shirkat Gah was the country’s first self-avowed feminist organisation. SG has played a pivotal role in the women’s movement in Pakistan and in the formation of the Women’s Action Forum (WAF), a women’s alliance that was formed to challenge the reversal and suppression of women’s rights during the dictatorship of General Zia who led Pakistan through a period of Islamisation that saw the passing of many controversial laws such as the Hudood Ordinance. Women’s rights including access to public spaces were rescinded. SG opposed these oppressive laws and fought back.
As one of the leading women’s rights organisations of Pakistan, SG has established itself as a resource centre for advocacy, capacity building, knowledge production and dissemination. SG houses historical archives pertaining to women’s and minorities’ rights and laws from Pakistan’s early existence.
Today, Shirkat Gah works in 23 districts across Pakistan through offices in Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar. The organisation acts in concert with other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) as key allies championing gender equality and social justice. SG is an invited member of multiple government committees for policy making and implementation. SG has a track record of contributing to national, regional and international agenda setting processes and enjoys UN ECOSOC consultative status.
Shirkat Gah has fully engaged with and led processes concerning obligations and reporting under, in particular, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, the International Conference on Population and Development, particular goals of the Millennium Development Goals and Universal Periodic Review.
Nationally and internationally, Shirkat Gah partners with academia and research institutions as well as civil society groups. The organisation is represented in many international bodies (e.g. IUCN (World Conservation Union), functions as the Asia Region Coordination Office for the international solidarity network, Women Living under Muslim Laws (WLUML), and sits on the steering committees of several initiatives to further gender equality.
ANNUAL REPORTS
Our Annual Reports from the past 5 years are available here and contain a snapshot of our work.
For more information, please contact :
info@shirkatgah.org.
JOBS & INTERNSHIPS
We encourage applicants with a feminist perspective and eagerness to learn to apply to our organisation. All interested candidates must send resumes to
info@shirkatgah.org.