Maryam Nawaz : CM-in-waiting shatters ‘glass ceiling
LAHORE: After years of partaking in politics from the peripheries, Maryam Nawaz — Punjab’s chief minister-in-waiting and daughter of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif — is set to take over the province’s reins as an elected lawmaker, making her a part of an illustrious club of accomplished Pakistani women who’ve risen to positions of power in the country’s 77-year-long political history.
Maryam ‘s anticipated assumption of the provincial chief executive role is just days away from making her the first-ever woman in any province of the country, as she gears up to be seated in the coveted seat.
Like Maryam, several accomplished Pakistani women, in the past, have been the first to assume significant posts in the corridors of power as well as other fields proving their mettle in numerous male-dominated roles.
Here follows a brief list of those who not only broke stereotypes and glass ceilings but also found a place in history books over the decades and remain a role model for many Pakistani women to follow.
In 1988, Benazir Bhutto became the first-ever female head of government in the Islamic world. She was 35 when she was sworn in as the country’s first female prime minister. This was a huge achievement for a country characterised by inadequate representation and gender marginalisation.
Former First Lady, Begum Ra’ana Liaquat Ali Khan, was appointed the first-ever female governor of any province in Pakistan. She headed Sindh in that capacity.
Her husband, Premier Liaquat Ali Khan, had served as the country’s first premier from 1947 to 1951. Begum Rana also performed the role of Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Netherlands, Italy and Tunisia.
Dr Shamshad Akhtar
Dr Shamshad Akhtar, who is currently serving as the caretaker finance minister, was the first woman governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. She assumed her role at the central bank on January 2, 2006, for a three-year term.
She was appointed as SBP’s 14th governor following its inception in July 1948, bringing her prolific experience from roles in national and international exposures pertaining to managing the economy including her term as the director general of the Asian Development Bank’s Southeast Asia Department. She had also served as the department’s deputy director general among other roles.
Lieutenant General Nigar Johar
Lieutenant General Nigar Johar was the first woman in the history of the Pakistan Army to rise to this rank. She was decorated with civil awards like the Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military) and was also the recipient of the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal for rendering laudable services in the Army Medical Corps from the prime minister of Pakistan. Johar also received the Hilal-i-Imtiaz Award.
Justice Ayesha Malik
Justice Ayesha Malik was appointed the first-ever female Supreme Court judge in January 2022. In 2021, as judge of Lahore High Court, she made headlines for her ground-breaking ruling, where she outlawed the use of the virginity test for examination of sexual assault survivors, terming it “illegal and against the Constitution.”
She had ruled that the said test had “no forensic value” in cases of sexual violence. In a 30-page judgment, Justice Malik wrote that the virginity test “offends the dignity of the female victim.” Her decision was applauded as a powerful win for women’s rights movements across the country.
Malala Yousafzai
Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani female education activist and the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate at the age of 17. She remains the world’s youngest Nobel Prize laureate and second Pakistani to receive this honour.
Fehmida Mirza
In March 2008, Fehmida Mirza was elected as the first female speaker of a lower house of Parliament in South Asia. She received 249 votes and defeated her opponent Muhammad Israr Tareen who could secure 70 votes only.
Hina Rabbani Khar
Hina Rabbani Khar was appointed the first female foreign minister of Pakistan at the age of 33 in July 2011.
Hina Rabbani Khar photographed during an election campaign rally. — X/@HinaRKhar
Hina Rabbani Khar photographed during an election campaign rally. — X/@HinaRKhar
During the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s short stint governing the Centre, Khar also served as a state minister in the Ministry of foreign Affairs.