Muniba Mazari

Muniba is a wheelchair-bound Pakistani woman who has refused to call it quits on life and let her disability keep her from shining. The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women has named Muniba Mazari as Pakistan’s first female Goodwill Ambassador to advance gender equality and empowerment of women.

Ayesha Ishtiaq

She is only twelve years of age but has achieved big in life by being part of the BBC’s list of 100 inspirational women for 2015 for tackling the issue of sexism in Pakistani society.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

She’s done us proud on more than one occasion. Winner of not one but two Academy Awards for the category Best Documentary-Short Subject, Sharmeen has highlighted the plight of her nation and notched two Oscars in the process.

Malala Yousafzai

Malala is another story of Pakistani women battling for their rights. She was shot in the face in October 2012 for advocating for female education by militants. However, she survived and has since then campaigned for the rights of education for girls worldwide. Not only that, she also managed to win the Nobel Prize and meet President Obama at the White House.

Laraib Atta

Daughter of the famous Pakistani singer Attaullah Khan Esakhelvi, she certainly did her best to uphold the family’s name. Laraib became youngest female visual effects artist in Hollywood.

Nergis Mavalvala

Karachi’s very own Nergis Mavalvala is a quantum astrophysicist who is  Associate Department Head of Physics at MIT and was part of the team of scientists who made the ground  breaking discovery of gravitational waves, ripples in space and time hypothesised by physicist Albert Einstein.

Mahira Khan

After establishing herself as a leading actress in Pakistan via several hit drama serials, the Lollywood actress went on to bag a coveted spot opposite actor Shah Rukh Khan for Raees. Even before the film has been released, Mahira has done Pakistan proud by attracting a legion of fans worldwide.

Tahira Qazi

She was the principal of the ill-fated Army Public School in Peshawar which was attacked by militants on December 16, 2014. Tahira got out alive but went back in and confronted the terrorists. She helped escape a couple of students before she was shot dead at close range by militants. Such was her bravery and courage.

Bilquis Edhi

Head of the Bilquis Edhi Foundation and wife of philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, Bilquis has contributed a lot towards the plight of the poor. A professional nurse, she and her husband have administered care to more than 16,000 unwanted babies across Pakistan. Bilquis Edhi was also instrumental in returning estranged Indian mute and deaf girl Geeta back to her homeland.

Samina Baig

She is the only Pakistani and the youngest Muslim to have conquered Mount Everest. Unwavered by the fear of heights, Samina also has the unique distinction of being the only Pakistani woman to have conquered the seven highest mountain peaks in the world.