Giving Pakistani Women Wings through Entrepreneurship

–>Who:  Khalida Brohi, program director of the…
–> What: …Sughar Women Program, which empowers women in Pakistan through entrepreneurship to rise against oppressive customs like honor killings.
–> How: Listen to this interview, and learn more about Sughar Women Program on Facebook.
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On her mission to spotlight the “Young and Relentless” – the twenty-somethings that are (already!) changing the world – Sonia Chokshi talks to Khalida Brohi, program director of Sughar Women Program at SOCAP’12.
Khalida’s journey of social activism began at the young age of 16 when she became outraged by the Pakistani custom of honor killings. Adamant to change the story of women in Pakistan, she launched a campaign, marching in the streets to drive policy change and shift public perception. Unfortunately, her efforts went unheard  – even the women in the villages on whose behalf she was fighting didn’t know about her campaign and why it mattered.
That’s when Khalida radically shifted her approach. Instead of approaching the issue from the outside, she went into the villages, to the women who she cared so much about. The resistance against honor killings took a backseat, and Khalida instead focused on creating opportunities to empower these women, helping them find their wings. And Sughar Women Program was born.
By training rural women to become entrepreneurs, Sughar provides a platform these women to find value in the household and in the community. A female entrepreneur commands respect by their husbands and the tribal leaders, and finds the voice and strength to fight back against oppressive customs. With new opportunities, these women can redefine the historical, social, and cultural roles that they’ve been simply accepting until now.
But, Khalida and her team aren’t nearly satisfied yet. Every morning, they pray to reach one million women within the next ten years. Soon, Pakistan won’t be able to ignore the power of the women in its villages.
Learn more about the Sughar Women Program on Facebook.
 
This article is a part of a series produced at SOCAP12 by New Empire Builders. New Empire Builders is a SOCAP12 media partner.