Muniba Mazari

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Muniba Mazari Baloch (Urdu: ‫ ;منیبہ مزاری‬born 3 March 1987, also known as the Iron
Lady of Pakistan[1]) is a Pakistani activist, anchor artist, model, singer and motivational
speaker. She became the National Ambassador for UN Women Pakistan after being
shortlisted in the 100 Inspirational Women of 2015 by BBC. She also made it to
the Forbes 30 under 30 list for 2016.
Muniba Baloch is also Pakistan's first model and anchor who uses a wheelchair. She
uses a wheelchair due to injuries sustained in a car accident at the age of 21. She
appeared as a host on Hum News's social show Main Nahi Hum.[2]

Personal life[edit]
Muniba Mazari is from a Baloch background, belonging to the tribe of Mazari.[3] She was
born in Rahim Yar Khan which is in southern Punjab on 3 March 1987.[4][3] Muniba went
to the Army Public School, and later attended college in her native home town for
a BFA.[3] At the age of 18, before she could complete her studies, she was married. In
2008, she was involved in an accident, which left her paraplegic.
Accident and recovery[edit]
On 27 February 2008, Muniba and her husband were travelling from Quetta to Rahim
Yar Khan. Their car met with an accident, in which she sustained several major injuries,
including broken bones in her arm (both radius and ulna), rib-cage, shoulder blade,
collarbone and spine. Her lungs and liver were also deeply cut. Moreover, her entire
lower body was left paralysed.[3] She was taken to a nearby hospital, which was ill-
equipped to deal with such a severe case. She was then moved to a hospital in Rahim
Yar Khan, and eventually, she was admitted to the Agha Khan Hospital, Karachi.[3] Post-
surgery, she was left bed-ridden for two years. Physiotherapy started, which helped her
recover enough to use a wheelchair.[3][5][6]
After treatment for her injuries, Muniba moved to Rawalpindi. In 2011, four years after
the accident, Muniba adopted her son, Nael.[3][4]

Career[edit]
Muniba Mazari has gained fame in multiple areas, as an artist, activist, anchor, model,
singer and motivational speaker. Most of her career, however, has been built on
painting and motivational speaking.

Muniba Mazari in a studio in 2015

While painting, she found a job working for Areeb Azhar to run his Facebook page for
monthly wages.[3] She also started work at her son's school for a startup project
called Dheeray Bolo (Speak Slowly), which involved teaching Urdu at various schools.
The managing director of Pakistan Television (PTV) at the time, Mohammad Malick,
learnt about her because of her TED talk, and asked her to work at PTV.[3] She also
worked for Clown Town in September, 2014, which allowed her to work with children
and the elderly.[3]
Apart from this, Muniba was chosen by Pond's as the Pond's Miracle Woman. She was
also chosen by international hairdressing salon, Toni & Guy, to become the first-ever
wheelchair-using model in Asia. Her first campaign for them was called Women of
Substance.[3]
Muniba Mazari has been a part of Dil Say Pakistan's campaign to spread the feeling of
patriotism and unity in Pakistan. She has performed as a singer for them, including in a
YouTube video which was published in August 2017 as part of their Independence Day
campaign for that year.[7]
In June 2019, Muniba was appointed by the current Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran
Khan, to be a part of Pakistan's first ever National Youth Council. [8]
Artist[edit]
Muniba started painting on her hospital bed. [3] Her medium is acrylics on canvas. With
the slogan, Let Your Walls Wear Colours, she created her own art brand
called Muniba's Canvas.[9] She has presented her work in exhibitions, including a six-day
exhibition held in Lahore from 19 April 2016 to 24 April 2016. [9] This exhibition was held
at Collectors Galleria and displayed 27 acrylic paintings. [9]
Her first International exhibition was held in Dubai - entitled And I Choose To Live - at
the Pakistan Association Dubai. The two-day exhibition - hosted by the Embassy of
Pakistan, Poetic Strokes and The Collectors Galleria, Lahore - was inaugurated by
Moazzam Ahmad Khan, the Pakistani ambassador to the UAE. [10]
She has displayed her art in several other exhibitions, as well as for charity, including:

 USEA Art Club, Islamabad (Solo exhibition)[3]

 Nomad Art Gallery (Group exhibition)[3]
 Tribal Heritage Art and Craft Gallery, Islamabad (Group exhibition)[3]
 My Art World Gallery, Islamabad (Group exhibition)[3]
 Worked on a project for the Embassy of United States of America Overseas
Buildings Operations, Islamabad[3]
 Australian High Commissioners' Charity Art Exhibition for a Christian school
in Rawalpindi[3]
 Exhibition at Serena Hotel, Islamabad, collaborated with National University
of Modern Languages[3]
 Collaborated with three artists for an exhibition at Arts Council, Rawalpindi, in
2011[3]
 Took part in a Charity Event for United Nations High Commissioners for
Refugees (UNHCR). She also donated a painting to UNHCR and Ministry of
 Women Development during an exhibition for refugees organized by
Islamabad-based SACH (Struggle for Change) NGO [3]
Motivational speaker[edit]
She has participated as a motivational speaker on various fronts, with her first break
being TED Talks, Islamabad.[11] Some of her notable works as a speaker include:

 Entrepreneurs' Organization Network, Pakistan [3]

 Motivational speech at Army Public School, Peshawar and Combined Military
Hospital, Peshawar. She also sang Ye Watan Tumhara Hai by Mehdi
Hassan[3]
 Leader's Summit[3]
 Motivational speech at Bank Alfalah Training Centre, Lahore [3]
 Invited as a guest to Women Entrepreneurship Day at the National University
of Science and Technology Business School [3]
 Talked about social entrepreneurship at the Youth Alumni Reunion 2014 [3]
 Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) [12]
 VCon Malaysia[12]
 Vcon Dubai[12]

Awards and honors[edit]

 100 Inspirational Women of 2015 (BBC)[13][14]
 500 most influential Muslims of the world[15]
 First Pakistani UN GoodWill Ambassador for UN Women[16]
 Forbes 30 Under 30 - 2016[17][18][19]
 The Karic Brothers Awards 2017 in Serbia by The Karic Foundation [20]