Hira Sarwar

The Violence We See, We Scroll: Pakistan’s Growing Crisis of Digital Harassment Against Women and Girls

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The Violence We See, We Scroll

A teenage girl receives inappropriate and disturbing messages on her phone. Another discovers that her private photographs have been circulated without consent. A woman journalist faces repeated threats and character assassination on social media. A university student is blackmailed through a fake account, afraid that reporting the harassment could expose her to further humiliation. Different … Read more

After the Floods: How Economic Survival Is Putting Girls’ Futures at Risk in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

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After the Floods: How Economic Survival Is Putting Girls’ Futures at Risk in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The floodwaters have receded, but the disaster has not ended for families struggling to rebuild their lives. When devastating flash floods struck Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in August 2025, they swept away homes, damaged farmland, destroyed businesses and disrupted education. Yet beyond the visible destruction lies a less documented crisis: the growing vulnerability of adolescent girls whose … Read more

The Flowers They Sell, the Childhood They Lose: Pakistan’s Children Trapped between Poverty, Child Labour and Climate Displacement

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The Flowers They Sell, the Childhood They Lose: Pakistan’s Children Trapped between Poverty, Child Labour and Climate Displacement

Two years had passed since I last visited Karachi. Returning after my cancer treatment was an emotional journey in itself. I had survived a battle that had changed my understanding of life, suffering and resilience. I arrived carrying memories of pain, recovery and the quiet determination to begin again. I went to the beach, hoping … Read more

Kaneez Fatima’s Fight for Women’s Health and Cervical Cancer Awareness in Gilgit-Baltistan

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Kaneez Fatima's Fight for Women's Health and Cervical Cancer Awareness in Gilgit-Baltistan

In the remote valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan, where glaciers dominate the landscape and climate-induced disasters threaten isolated communities, access to essential healthcare remains a persistent challenge for women and adolescent girls. Geographical isolation, inadequate medical facilities, limited educational opportunities and deeply rooted social stigma intersect to create barriers to menstrual health, reproductive healthcare and preventive screening. … Read more

Beyond the Diagnosis: Sania’s Year-Long Battle to Uncover a Hidden Pituitary Tumor

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Woman and Pituitary Tumor Medical Illustration

For 22-year-old Sania, the dream of becoming a mother became the beginning of a prolonged and deeply distressing medical journey. What initially appeared to be difficulty conceiving gradually unfolded into a complex health struggle that affected her physical wellbeing, memory, speech and everyday life..As she tried to understand why she was unable to conceive, Sania … Read more

Shifa — Sindh: The 17-Year-Old Who Turned Fog Into a Vision for Clean Energy

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Shifa was academically strong, but she was shy. Speaking in front of others was difficult, and leadership did not come naturally to her. Then she was given an opportunity to do something different: solve a real problem. Through a school entrepreneurship programme, Shifa and an all-girl team developed Nebulavolt—an innovative concept responding to a familiar … Read more

Naushaba Roonjho: The Girl Told to Stop Studying—Now She Is Sending Girls to School

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When Naushaba Roonjho from Interior Sindh passed her secondary-school examination in 2010, becoming the first woman from her community to do so, there was no celebration. She was told she had studied enough. Her father wanted her to stay at home. She was married at 17. Her education could easily have ended there. But Naushaba … Read more

Mahnoor Omer — Rawalpindi: The Young Lawyer Challenging Pakistan’s “Period Tax” in Court

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For millions of Pakistani girls and women, menstruation is a monthly reality. But for many, managing it safely is also a question of Money, Access and Dignity. For Mahnoor Omer, a young lawyer from Rawalpindi, that reality became a constitutional question. In 2025, Omer filed a petition before the Lahore High Court’s Rawalpindi Bench challenging the … Read more

Kalsoom Brohi – Defiance against Honor Killings

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In the heart of a conservative community in Pakistan, where antiquated customs held sway and women were often silenced, there emerged a hope and defiance named Kalsoom Brohi. She is a story of resilience, courage, and unyielding determination to challenge the entrenched norms that shackled women’s rights and perpetuated violence in the name of honor. … Read more

Music Diplomacy as Soft Power in South Asia

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Cultural institutions have an impact that transcends national boundaries and supports soft power diplomacy. Mutual artistic manifestations promote understanding and goodwill between the nations and present a favorable picture of them to the outside world. Exchanging cultural expressions, promoting understanding, and creating connections between countries are all part of cultural diplomacy. Collaborations on literary, musical, … Read more

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