Hadiqa Bashir

Hadiqa Bashir co-founded Girls United for Human Rights in 2014, an organization dedicated to protecting and promoting girls’ rights across Pakistan, particularly in the Khyber PakhtunKhwa region. Through this initiative, she has worked to educate her community about the adverse impacts of child marriages on mental and physical health by engaging legislators, religious leaders, and conducting awareness sessions in local schools and communities. Her early professional efforts quickly garnered international attention; in 2015, she was honored with the Muhammad Ali International Humanitarian Award for her dedication to ending child marriages in Pakistan. Building on this momentum, Bashir became the first Pakistani girl to receive the Asian Girls Human Rights Ambassador award in 2016.

Her advocacy was further recognized with two consecutive Children’s Peace Prize nominations in 2016 and 2017. Bashir’s commitment to human rights was acknowledged as a Commonwealth Youth Award Finalist in 2017 and with the prestigious With and For Girls Award in 2018-19. Through Girls United for Human Rights, her work expanded to include supporting women facing domestic abuse through essential medical and legal aid, advocating for women’s economic empowerment via skill development and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention, and championing transgender rights and the creation of safe, sustainable cities for women and girls. Bashir is recognized as both a Women Deliver Young Leader and an Asian Girls Ambassador, highlighting her influence in global advocacy networks.

Bashir remains committed to transforming societal views on women’s rights and marriage, driving significant change throughout Pakistan and beyond.