Young Female Leaders for the Future
Mr. Saboor AHMED (Pakistan)
Historically, Pakistani politics has always been dominated by a few families anddictators, and they have reserved their rights in the country’s politics. Also history tells
us that political parties have always used the youth to achieve their political targets and,looking at the bigger picture, the role of the youth in Pakistani politics has always beenlimited. In retrospect, it is evident that little or no representation has been bestowed
upon Pakistani youth, particularly the women.
However, in recent times, hope has arisen in the shape of Youth Parliament ofPakistan. Besides, it has brought optimism, a breath of fresh air. Young intellectuals,comprising both genders, are given importance, and finally it seems that Pakistan is on
the verge of a revolution−an inhouse revolution that would change the face of Pakistan
not only on the political front but also on others as well.
Moreover, “Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Founder of Pakistan” saw theyouth as a major asset to the newly created state, i.e., Pakistan, and repeatedlyemphasized the role of the youth in Pakistani politics. And he believed the youth wasvital driving force for taking the country forward. His sayings reflected his belief thatthe young men and women are the leaders of the future.
“Pakistan is proud of her youth, particularly the students who have always been in
the forefront in the hour of trial and need. You are the nation’s leaders of tomorrow andyou must fully equip yourselves with discipline, education, and training to cope witharduous tasks lying ahead of you. You should realize the magnitude of your responsibility
and be ready to bear it”, said Muhammad Ali JINNAH. Keeping this message in mind,
Pakistani youth have prepared themselves to take leading roles in politics, education,social work, sports and other spheres. On the political front, the youth of Pakistan,especially the women, have got the highest representation since the creation of Pakistan.
A number of young female leaders have taken responsibility to lead the youth from thefront. To mention a few, Maryam NAWAZ, thedaughter of Prime Minister Nawaz SHARIF, joined
the active politics a few years back, and now she is
the chairperson of Youth Business Loan Scheme.
Also, the daughters of former Prime Minister
Benazir BHUTTO (Asifa and Bakhtawar BHUTTO)
haveannounced

Pakistani politics.

tovigorously

participateinMs. Maryam Nawaz

In addition, Ayesha Gulalai WAZIR, thefirst woman ever elected as the member ofNational

AssemblyfromFATA(FederallyAdministered Tribal Areas), is aged just 26, butnonetheless, she is ready to take up thechallenges that her tribe, area, province, andcountry are facing for a long time.
There are still many others who are readyMs. Ayesha Gulalai Wazir

to lead the youth and the nation with greatstrength and vigor. Meanwhile, on the educational front, Malala YOUSAFZAI, a 16-yearold school girl, rendered unforgettable service byputting her life in great danger, as she was shot in
the head by an extremist. Since her recovery, she has
become a globally recognized symbol of the promotionof education. Malala YOUSAFZAI has received
numerous prestigious awards for her sacrifice, and is
still committed to promoting the awareness ofeducation among all people.

Ms. Malala Yousafzai

Today, Pakistani women enjoy a better status
than most Muslim women in other countries. However, on average, the women’ssituation vis-à-vis men is one of systematic gender subordination, although there havebeen attempts by the government and enlightened groups to elevate the status of womenin Pakistani society. Now, due to a heightened awareness among people, educational
opportunities for Pakistani women have increased in the past few years.
Also, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, the first Pakistani woman to win an Oscar (AcademyAward) for her documentary film “Saving Face”, rendered great service by highlighting
the brutal and inhumane act of throwing acid at women in Pakistani society, which istarnishing the image of the country on a global level. Thus she has become a role model
for social scientists, shedding light on the social evils that prevail in our society. To sumup, it can be said that all these endeavors by young female leaders have brought about
the beginning of long-awaited dawn that will always be shining on each and every oneof us without bias and prejudice.