Oour country is proud to have many exceptional women who have left an indelible mark by choosing to make a deep-seated difference in a male-dominated society. Some of these women are talked about while others remain unsung.

Anita Ghulam Ali, renowned educationist, twice Minister of Culture, Education, Science and Technology and Director of the Sindh Education Foundation takes a moment to talk about the way women at the grass root level have made staggering contributions to literacy and social development. “But no one talks about these women who are empowering other women like them. These women have stayed their ground in dire circumstances and have taken brave initiatives. These seemingly ordinary women have created extraordinary opportunities for themselves by not just struggling to better their lives but that of their children and in turn providing inspiration to society.”

She finishes that the key to any and all development for us is to educate our girls.

Another personality which strived for spreading education was eminent educationist Begum Amina Majeed Malik. She was a woman whose efforts have manifested in the form of two prestigious educational institutions, PECHS School and PECHS College, being renamed after her as the Begum Amina Majeed Malik College for Women in appreciation of her service to education. With this she was a patron of the arts and culture and a voice to aid artists in distress.

Bilquis Bano Edhi, a renowned philanthropist and recipient of the Hilal-i-Imtiaz, in her refreshingly off-hand way says, “I may not be educated but I realise that I would be nothing without my husband's name! And herein lies the truth which must be accepted. We women can play a staggering role 'if' our men support us. Together a man and a woman are an invincible force to be reckoned with. But when men are narrow-minded they can hinder a woman's potential and consequently the progress of a nation. ”

She explains in her motherly way, “A woman is 70 per cent of a man's strength, yet she must compromise and tolerate.” In Milton's words, 'They also serve who stand and wait!'

Majida Rizvi holds a unique place in our contemporary history as the first woman judge of the High Court of Pakistan. She was the chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women and currently is Chairperson of Panah shelter home. She looks down the corridors of the past and effortlessly recounts the phases in our history where women have played a pivotal role.

“Apart from the astounding work of women like Fatima Jinnah and Begum Rana Liaquat Ali Khan; it was the brave women of the late forties who largely ran the refugee camps at the borders at the time of partition.”

Ms Rizvi continues, “During Ayub Khan's time it was the women's agitation which brought in such beneficial laws like the Family Laws Ordinance 1961 which codified marriage, divorce and inheritance which was a major step to empower women and give them their rights and recognition.” Before this ordinance, if marriages were not registered and the husband died, then the second or third wife were left high and dry, with no way to prove that they were also legally entitled to his wealth and property.

Majida Rizvi also expounds upon the Family Court of 1964 which also is a manifestation of women having raised their voices. “In Zia ul Haq's era women were subjected to the baton but still remained undeterred and continued their agitation for progressive development. Then came more protective laws like the National Commission for the Status of Women in 2000.” The induction of first female Prime Minister heralded in a multitude of opportunities for women, including women banks and women police stations and above all, inspiration for the common woman to aim high.

It takes an exceptional balance of compassion and strength to fight hard and long for the rights of others. Human rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir is one such woman of steel who has spent most of her life raising her voice for women, religious minorities and children and in the process has been subject to extreme controversy. Yet she has forged ahead, unheeding her critics and went on to form the first law firm established by women. She has also served as Chairperson to the Human Rights Commission and was appointed as special rapporteur of the UN Commission of Human Rights.

Mehtab Rashdi, a celebrated educationist and media personality, says women have formally and informally played a vital role in our economy since the inception of Pakistan. “Whether her economic contribution has been recorded, computed or recognised is another sorry story.”

Ms Rashdi throws light on our rural areas where women work in the fields not by choice, but to support their families and ensure that their children do not sleep with a growling stomach and hunger pangs.

She speaks about the shift in the male mentality and says that today the rural men and village elders have realised what an asset it is to have educated daughters and are pleading for middle and high schools for girls near their localities so that their girls can become aware and still remain right before their eyes.

She furnishes the example of the largest university of our metropolis, Karachi University which has over 51 per cent female students. “Look at the toppers in Board exams, they are always girls because they are hard working and focused. In the assembly today there are 22 per cent women and 80 per cent of the bills moved are by the female members.”

“At the grass root levels women counsellors have worked hard to solve the problems of their locality treating their area like their own homes. The speaker of the National Assembly is a woman; our government today can boast of several stalwart women ministers who serve to inspire the young girls of today that the sky's the limit.”

Pakistan has the privilege of being a motherland to such daughters who have toiled like mothers themselves for the upliftment of the women in this part of the world. One such woman is Kishwar Naheed whose literary work is spread over four decades and reflects lucidly, her thoughts as a woman writer who has been actively involved in the civic and creative areas of the nation. An Urdu poet who has been widely translated and the recipient of several national and international awards, Naheed does not restrict her efforts to expressing herself with her pen but also runs an NGO called Hawwa which is dedicated to aiding rural women to become financially independent through cottage industries and handicrafts.

Fatima Surayya Bajia is also a source of inspiration to the Eves of our nation. Largely renowned as a Urdu novelist, playwright and drama writer who wishes to “point out the good in society in this time of unrest and ugliness, of distrust and mayhem”. She has also been Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sindh and is an active social worker and educationist.

These are just a few examples as it is not possible to mention all those women who have or are working towards the good of the country.