Shad Begum

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Shad Begum (شاد بیگم) is a social worker from Pakistan.  In 2012 she received the International Women of Courage Award from the U.S. Department of State. 

 Life 

Shad comes from a conservative and religious family.  She is the first woman in her family to study in a university. Shad's family supports the political party named Jamaat-i-Islami, a conservative religious party. Shad says she always got support for her work from her father, her brothers, and her husband. 

 Work 

In 1994, Shad started the Association for Behaviour and Knowledge Transformation (ABKT).  The organization helps women in the area with projects for education, politics, and health. It also has projects for bridges, pumps, wells, streets, and loans for small business.  The association gets its money from the Pakistani government and from international groups.

 Difficulties 

Shad had many problems because the society is conservative and dominated by men. There are very few working women. When the Taliban came to the area, Shad was threatened, so she moved the office to Peshawar.  When Shad received the International Women of Courage Award, she asked news reporters not to write about it, because she was afraid. 

 References  

 Other websites 

 http://www.abkt.org/ Association for Behaviour and Knowledge Transformation
 2012 International Women of Courage Awards, U.S. State Department photostream on Flickr 
Secretary's International Women of Courage Award (U.S. Department of State)

Category:Women who received the International Women of Courage Award
Category:1974 births
Category:Living people
Category:Pashtun people
Category:People from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa