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option=com_content&view=article&id=270&Itemid =53 100 Women Who Shake Pakistan

From the March 21 2011 issue They make up almost half of Pakistan's population of 180 million, but are rarely given the space and coverage they deserve. From Fatima Jinnah to Rana Liaquat Ali Khan to Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan has produced some very remarkable women. Today, they are bankers, businesswomen, activists, artists, sport stars. From a pool of almost 350 women, here's our list of the 100 women who matter most.
THE SHAKERS

Roshaneh Zafar Inspired by Nobel laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus's work at Grameen Bank, Roshaneh Zafar, 42, ditched her World Bank career to set up Kashf Foundation, Pakistan's first microfinance institution, in 1996. She started with a $10,000 loan from the Grameen Trust, Rs. 100,000 of her own, and 15 clients. Today, Kashf has more than 306,000 clients, and has disbursed more than $202 million in small loans to poor women. Kashf made Forbes's list of the world's top microfinance institutions in 2007, and U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged her work at the inaugural Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship last year. "The women I meet tell me, 'don't tell us about water sanitation projects, tell us how to earn a living," Zafar says. In setting up Kashf, she moved away from conventional development projects to help women finance their own empowerment.

Bilquis Edhi One of Pakistan's most respected social workers, runs the Edhi Trust with her husband

Aafia Siddiqui Neuroscientist convicted by a U.S. court for attempted murder is the cause clbre for Pakistan's Islamists

Aamna Taseer In tragedy, she showed Pakistan what grace and dignity look like. Punjab's former first lady now runs her late husband's business empire

Sherry Rehman Journalist turned politician turned conscience of the nation, she is the most important voice in a country gripped in darkness

Sultana Siddiqui The director and producer also owns HUM TV, a popular women's cable channel

Bushra Aitzaz Activist, businesswoman, and chief of the women's cricket board

Kiran Baluch Set highest test score record in women's cricket

Rubina Feroze Bhatti Fights for the rights of women victimized by violence

Abida Parveen Globally renowned Sufi vocalist with over 20 albums

Um-e-Hassan She shows us the Jamia Hafsa still lives Um-e-Hassan, the wife of Lal Masjid's chief cleric, Maulana Abdul Aziz, came to national prominence four years ago as head of Jamia Hafsa, the mosque's seminary for women which was leading the charge to have Shariah laws imposed in Pakistan. The protests and actions of the burqa-clad students in Islamabad got the attention of the worldand the Army. At least 84 lives were lost when commandos finally stormed the Lal Masjid compound in July 2007. A native of Rawalpindi, Hassan cites the Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) and his wives Khadija and Ayesha as inspirations. She began religious instruction for women shortly after her marriage to Aziz in 1985. "Women are very important because they have the most influence on their children," she told Newsweek Pakistan. "For a good society, you need to work hard on the education of women." Hassan says she imparts a positive message to women in her lessons, "Women shouldn't think they have no role in society. They are wives, sisters, mothers, daughters." Hassan says she has never urged any of her followers toward violence, and that the reform of society is the responsibility of religious scholars operating with the authority of the state. One model, she says, is the Saudi religious police, the Mutaween. "When we see injustice and wrong in society," Hassan says, "it is our duty to at least point it out and tell people that this is wrong. This was our position back then, and this is our position now."

Carla Khan Pro-squash player continues the Khan legacy

Ruth Pfau Fights to eradicate leprosy in Pakistan

Nabila Maqsood Stylish and smart, the fashionista has made a career out of making other people look hot

Bapsi Sidhwa

Doyenne of South Asian English lit is still going strong

Jehan Ara Leading software development in Pakistan

Naseem Hameed South Asia's fastest woman and endorsements' queen

Bunto Kazmi Fashion designer shows modern sensibility with traditional styles

Shazia Marri Energy czarina Married at 14 and divorced by 16, Sindh's first ever minister for energy, oil, and gas doesn't show it, but she's had to overcome plenty of challenges. The poised and articulate Marri, 38, was roped into politics by Benazir Bhutto, and has electrified us.

Aasia Noreen Her plight has inspired thousands to question controversial laws

Ameena Saiyid The power behind Oxford University Press in Pakistan

Dr. Rufina Soomro Helps cancer patients feel normal with low-cost breast prosthetics

Dr. Feriha Peracha Runs Sabaoon to deprogram children brainwashed by the Taliban

Jugnu Mohsin Publisher of Pakistan's first independent weekly is also the country's most powerful humorist

Sajida Zulfiqar Established successful furniture business despite Taliban threat

Ayesha Jalal Tufts professor is top South Asian history scholar

Nigar Ahmad As a founder of Aurat Foundation, she has been key in getting women's voices heard

Asma Jahangir Nothing scares dictators and demagogues more than this brave, rabble rousing, SCBAP president and human rights activist

Sara Suleri Meatless Days author and Yale prof

Sana Mir She raised the bar for cricket The 25-year-old led the Pakistan women's cricket team that won gold at the Guangzhou Asian Games, and the hearts of a nation craving sporting success. "We will have this medal for the next 4 years, I want to enjoy that," she told Newsweek Pakistan. She is the top rated Pakistani player, and among the top 20 best bowlers in the world.

Nergis Mavalvala Astrophysicist imparts her knowledge to new crop at MIT

Shamshad Akhtar The first woman to head the State Bank, Akhtar now runs the World Bank's MENA operations

Rukhsana Bangash Don't let her low-key demeanor mislead you, President Zardari's political secretary is the one who keeps things moving along

Shahnaz Wazir Ali The educator and philanthropist is also the architect of the Benazir Income Support Programme

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari The youngest of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari's children has been the face of the antipolio campaign since she was born

Yasmin Rehman

Key voice on the powerful Public Accounts Committee

Shafqat Sultana President, First Women Bank

Fehmida Mirza The first woman speaker of Parliament in the Muslim world

Fauzia Gilani The industrious first lady is a political operator and a leading businesswoman

Asiya Nasir Pakistan woke up to Asiya Nasir after her hard hitting speech in the National Assembly following the assassination on March 2 of minorities minister Shahbaz Bhatti. Representing the orthodox Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl), the 39-year-old Christian M.P. left teaching to enter politics in 2002. We're glad she did.

Kulsoom Nawaz The former first lady wowed us all by her courage after her husband's government was overthrown in a coup

Nasreen Kasuri Her self-started education empire now sprawls continents

Shaista Wahidi Replaces Nadia Khan as face of GEO TV and Pakistan's Oprah

Salima Hashmi Painter, curator, gallery owner, she is the face of modern Pakistani art

Samar Minallah Her video of a young woman being flogged in Swat turned public opinion firmly against the Taliban

Shazia Sikandar The New York-based modern miniature artist has shown at every major gallery worth in its salt

Shirin Tahir-Kheli The former adviser to George W. Bush got Pakistan and India talking again

Sonya Jehan Telecom's most attractive mascot

Souriya Anwar Founder of and indefatigable spirit behind Pakistan's SOS Villages

Syeda Hina Babar Ali When she's not busy running Packages, one of Pakistan's largest business groups, she's writing poetry

Nafis Sadik Internationally renowned, her efforts as the U.N. special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Asia have

helped stem the disease in the region

Ghulam Sugra The Sindhi activist has gained new popularity after recieving the International Women of Courage Award from Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama

Madeeha Gauhar The Lahore-based writer opened an outlet for human rights activisim when she launched Ajoka Theatre under Gen. Zia

Maj. Gen. Shahida Malik Pakistan's first woman to make a two-star general marked a new era in women's rights

Maria Toor Pakay The squash wunderkind is making Pakistan proud

Nighat Said Khan One of the founding members of Women's Action Forum, she doubles as a talented filmmaker

Mukhtar Mai She turned a horrible tragedy into a triumph of the human spirit. Gang raped in 2002 at the orders of a tribal jirga, Mai, 39, has fought a long and tough battle to get those who assaulted her convicted. Along the way, she founded a school and authored the best-selling In the Name of Honour. Today, Mai, who is herself illiterate, is working to ensure every girl in her village gets an education.

Rubab Raza Only 13 when she qualified for the Summer Olympics in 2004, Rubab has a bright career ahead of her

Hina Tahir Pakistan's first female fighter pilot

Sabiha Sumar The award-winning Independent filmmaker has dedicated herself to social change through film

Saima Mohsin Freelance journalist who often reports on Pakistan for PBS and ITV

Salma Maqbool Co-founder of Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness has made it her mission to ensure no one else suffers her affliction

Samina Qureshi The award-winning author has toured the world, bringing the beauty of Pakistan with her

Zubaida Tariq Food and homemaking guru

Reema Lollywood actress reinvents herself as savvy talk-show host

Kishwar Naheed Veteran columnist still going strong after four decades

Juggan Kazim Ubiquitous cherub-faced model and actress

Mehrbano Sethi With her Luscious Cosmetics, the Este Lauder of Pakistan

Marvi Memon Parliamentarian and twitter queen

Sanam Marvi Folk and sufi singer sets her own tone

Huma Abedin Aide to Hillary Clinton is Pakistani on her mother's side

Sania Mirza Tennis pro has been welcomed by Pakistanis as their own

Seema Aziz CARE Foundation founder proves that philanthropy can make a difference

Shandana Khan The Rural Support Program Network CEO focuses on the grassroots

Shazia Ahmed Leader of the first four female fighter pilots trained by Pakistan's Air Force

Reshma

Legendary folk singer

Samina Ghurki The only PPP leader with a safe National Assembly seat from Lahore

Nafisa Shah She was among 1,000 women nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize. Encouraged to enter politics by the late Benazir Bhutto she excelled as the mayor of Sindh's Khairpur district and is currently a Pakistan Peoples Party member of the National Assembly.

Faryal Talpur The first sister is running the day-to-day of the country's largest party

Tehmina Daultana PMLN pol has nerves of steel, and a sense of humor

Tina Sani No one can put Faiz's verse to song quite like her

Meera Lollywood siren lives in the headlines and in our hearts

Samia Raheel Qazi Heads the women's wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest religio-political party

Zareen Khalid Pakistan's original event planner

Spenta Kandawalla The U.S. Secretary of State's former classmate is a business mogul in her own right

Farhat Hashmi She established Al-Huda International in 1994. Since then, Hashmi has been the favored proselytizer of the ladies-who-lunch crowd in Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi. She has a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from the University of Glasgowand in converting women to AlHuda's brand of Islamic conservatism. "I just translate the word of God," she told filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy in an interview. So if people have a problem with her, she said, "they have a problem with God."

Tahera Hasan Founding member of KaraFilm Festival maintains a healthy law practice for entertainment industry

Farzana Bari Human rights campaigner

Bano Qudsia Novelist and playwright was awarded the Hilal-e-Imtiaz in 2010

Maryam Bibi Since founding Khwendo Kor, which means "sister's home", a nongovernmental organization, in 1993, she's been struggling for funding. "Big donors like big projects," she told Newsweek Pakistan. They don't seem to find her organization's sharply focused work with internally-displaced women and children headline worthy. But, luckily, Bibi is trucking along just fine. "It is the poorest of the poor women who inspire me to keep working."

Nahid Siddiqui Kathak dancer introduced her skill to universities across the world

Nazish Ataullah Printmaker and social activist

Tehmina Durrani Author and activist

Samina Ahmed South Asia project director at International Crisis Group

Samina Khan Sungi head is working on several development projects

Ronak Lakhani Tech wiz also runs the Special Olympics

Nusrat Jamil Author, rights activist and dynamo

Marriana Karim Raises funds for several charities and runs a kidney center

Madiha Sattar Journalist

Selina Rashid Founder of Lotus PR

Veena Malik Spark and Provocateur She says she is 27. Veena Malik, the actor, comedienne, and cultural lightning rod, says and does a lot of things that prompt a double take and require suspension of disbelief. Pakistanis remember her from such hits as "cricketer Muhammad Asif stole my heartand my money!"; "Meera should watch her back"; and, of course, last year's Bigg Boss on Indian television that had Pakistanand Indiaaghast, more because of her desperate determination to hog the spotlight rather than anything real saucy or salacious. For the finale, after she was voted out of the Bigg Boss house, Malik appeared on Frontline with Kamran Shahid in Pakistan taking on a mullah in a highly scripted, and spirited, performance that had Pakistan's pathetic Internet liberals hailing her as their new hero. The debate surrounding Malik's TV antics have served to further confirm the poverty of the liberal elite and the hypocrisy of the religious right. It has also shown Malik to be a savvy entertainer in this age of guns and Gaga. "I'm not one of those you can malign and get away with it," Malik told Newsweek Pakistan. "If people think they can because I'm a woman, they're mistaken." Malik was last seen on India's World Cup-related show, Bigg Toss. Veena, vidi, vici, indeed.

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