Pakistan – Young Disabled Woman is Leader for Rights
Author: Womens UN Report Network
Date: October 6, 2015
WUNRN
PAKISTAN – YOUNG DISABLED WOMAN IS
LEADER FOR RIGHTS
Pakistan woman with disability believes in breaking
barriers of social exclusion and developing role models.
By Sehrish Wasif – May 11, 2012
When it comes to having a support system, individuals with disabilities are
very challenged in
They suffer not only their handicaps but also remain disadvantaged on various
fronts be it education or social acceptance.
However, some like Abia Akram, 28, break the shackles.
Akram has become the first ever Pakistani woman with disability to be
nominated as the Coordinator for Commonwealth Young Disabled People’s Forum and
Global Coordinator at Global Network of Emerging Women Leader, Disabled
People’s International.
Born with physical disability into a middle-class family in
she began her education at a centre for persons with disabilities and is
currently pursuing her Masters in Gender Policy at
scholarship.
She is a harbinger of hope for people, especially women with disabilities in
the country. “In a society where women with disabilities are mostly considered
a liability, my achievements have proven that they (the women) can leave their
mark in any field,” she said.
Akram also served as National Forum of Women with Disability chairperson,
Asia Pacific Network of Independent Living Pioneer member and Capital
Independent Living Centre project manager. She has been engaged in the
activities of Disability Movement since 1997.
“A group of 15 young disabled persons, on our personal initiative, gathered
in
break barriers of social exclusion and develop role models for society,” she
said. The group had suffered a range of harsh experiences in their lives from
the start of education to earning livelihood, she added.
She further said that even though
has ratified UN Convention on disability rights, it could not implement them
effectively. “Being one of them, I want to give a voice to women with
disabilities and I guess I got on the right platform,” she said.
Her elder brother Mohammad Atif who himself is physically disabled said, “No
doubt the government has framed various policies for persons with disabilities,
but despite these efforts, most people with disabilities remain completely
un-served and are facing difficulty in living with dignity in their respective
communities.
This is also the reason why Atif is so proud of what his sister has
achieved. It’s a big honour for the family and for the whole nation, a women
facing a triple handicap– due to her disability, gender and belonging a
developing country– is excelling in her field,” he said.
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