Swat’s Hadiqa Bashir honoured with Global Citizen Youth Leader award

A 22-year-old social activist, Hadiqa Bashir, was honoured with a Global Citizen Youth Leader award for her exceptional work in promoting women's education and rights in the Swat region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Bashir, who received a marriage proposal at the age of 11 and faced years of societal challenges after refusing that, became the youngest Pakistani woman to receive this recognition.

Bashir founded an NGO named 'Girl United for Human Rights' (GUHR), aiming to reduce discrimination and violence against girls, including early age and forced marriages. 

She has been working tirelessly to raise awareness about the negative impacts of early and forced marriages on girls' lives and to create a safer environment for them.

A website that advocates women's rights quoted Bashir as saying, “I decided to work against early and forced marriage and raise my voice to save the lives of other girls in my community and country from the atrocities the patriarchy imposes.”

Her efforts have been widely recognised and appreciated, as she was previously honoured with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award and the Asian Girls Ambassador Award. She has also been a finalist for the Commonwealth Award.

Bashir belongs to the same area where Malala Yousufzai, a Nobel Peace laureate for her work in promoting women's education, was born and raised.