At the foot of the Khyber Pass, one of the world’s ancient trading posts along the Silk Road, lies the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Its largest city is Peshawar, the oldest settlement in the territory of modern Pakistan. It is here that a group of local female politicians is paving the way for women’s leadership.
Back in January 2016, our team brought together 48 women leaders for a five-day workshop called “Strengthening Women’s Political Participation and Leadership for Effective Democratic Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” The goal of this activity was to magnify the voices of current and aspiring women politicians and build their leadership and advocacy skills.
Let three of them tell you how the experience changed their careers.
Rukhmina Khurshid
In 2015, after a decade without local elections, Rukhmina Khurshid joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party and was elected as a member of the town assembly in Peshawar. Even though Rukhmina won the election, she was often ignored by her male counterparts, who tended to acknowledge women in politics only if related to a prominent male politician. Shortly after the election, the PTI split into two groups: one headed by the Nazim (a title similar to mayor) and the other headed by a member of the provincial assembly. These two groups often battled for power and resources.
Rukhmina successfully mediated the dispute that was lacerating her party.
Rukhmina, concerned with her party’s affairs, instantly stepped in to mediate the conflict. Putting to use the tactics that she learned at our workshop, she facilitated a dialogue between them. “My party was deeply divided into groups, with both sides steadfastly holding on to their own interests,” Rukhmina said. “Extensive, structured discussions helped establish trust between both groups, enabling them to both come to an understanding and agree on how they wanted to [move] things forward.”
I was not taken seriously before, but my role in helping resolve this conflict has allowed people to see that I can lead others, as long as I have the opportunity to do so.” – Rukhmina
Nazuk Bibi
Formerly a political activist, Nazuk works as an elected councilwoman for Town 1 in Peshawar. Even though she helped her party, the PTI, win the local election, senior council members didn’t listen to the demands of her voters. “I achieved all of this due to sheer hard work, but the party leaders ignored my suggestions and recommendations during key decision-making periods, making it hard for me to continue the work for the welfare of my voters at the district level,” said Nazuk.
With persistence and strategic thinking, Nazuk convinced the council to follow her lead.
After our workshop, Nazuk wanted to use the funds provided by the Provincial Financial Commission to correct a sewage issue in her town. Her seniors were against the idea. Nazuk refused to take no for an answer and conducted an assessment in the area. She shared her findings with her seniors, who, after analyzing the results, approved the initiation of her work. She noted, “The leadership training helped me understand processes and methodology. I realize now that the key to achieving success is thorough planning. I am more confident now, since I know how to professionally approach challenges like this.”
I am excited about all that I will be able to achieve.” – Nazuk
Shaheen Habib Ullah
Inspired by her father-in-law and his political career with the Awami National Party, Shaheen joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in 2007 and started a political career dedicated to empowering the women of her province. Currently, Shaheen serves as the General Secretary of the Women’s Wing of the League. Her experience in politics spans almost a decade, yet she had never had to defend her party against corruption charges.
Shaheen was under extreme pressure, dealing with questions about the Panama Papers scandal. The Papers, 11.5 million leaked documents from a database of an offshore law firm illustrating how wealthy individuals and party officials kept financial information hidden, include the names of close to 220 political leaders and their families. Shaheen’s party leader – the sitting Prime Minister – is one of them. “I never thought [Search’s] training would help me with dealing with the media during a crisis,” she says. “Suddenly, in my position as a General Secretary, I am faced with tricky questions from the media on an issue that is both controversial and sensitive. Today, I remind myself of the techniques I learned to tactfully handle the media.”
My fellow party members are so impressed by my handling of the media these days that I am advising the senior members on how to address challenging questions they face.” – Shaheen
Breaking the perception that they are unfit to lead – that’s the task at hand for many female politicians in the region. Working from the grassroots to the top, they are changing the political environment and inspiring their younger peers to follow in their footsteps.
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Banner photo: Shaheen and her colleague, by Search – Pakistan.