Aware Girls is a non-governmental organization in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Established in 2002, it aims to address violence and discrimination against women and young girls in Pakistan. Their mission is to advocate for women's rights, education, and access to sexual and reproductive health resources.[1] They state their objective as "to strengthen the leadership capacity of young women enabling them to act as agents of social change and women empowerment in their communities."[2]
Gulalai Ismail, a human rights activist based in Peshawar, served as the chairperson of Aware Girls. In 2018, the Pakistani government shut down Aware Girls after Gulalai became associated with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a social movement advocating for Pashtun human rights.[3]
Formation
Aware Girls was formed in Peshawar in 2002[4] by sisters Gulalai Ismail and Saba Ismail, at the time aged 16 and 15 respectively.[5]
They began by campaigning in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa area against gender based violence such as honour killings and acid attacks and then by educating girls and women about their human rights, giving them negotiating skills to use within their families[6] and empowering them to become leaders and educate others in their own local communities.[4]
Saba Ismail explained the catalyst for the organisation's formation was experiencing gender inequality while growing up in Swabi and an incident when a girl cousin who had wanted to study and become a pilot was, age 12, made to marry a man 15 years her senior and discontinue her education.[1] Sana was already active in promoting women's right to education and healthcare while in college and Jahangir met the others at a seminar about violence against women and was a co-founder of an organisation called the Child Rights Advocates Forum.[5]
Campaigns
In addition to empowering young women at home and in their communities, Aware Girls also aims to educate young people against extremism with peaceful resistance to the Taliban by educating peers against radicalisation and to encourage more women into positions of political influence.[7] This is done through their Youth Peace Network outreach work including workshops and seminars, creating local youth groups and using peer to peer education and support to reach at-risk young people in rural areas.[8]Malala Yousafzai was an attendee of Aware Girls training in 2011 and in 2016 the Malala Fund, with financial sponsorship from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation set up the Gulmakai Network to support local organisations such as Aware Girls who campaign and work on the front line of education for girls and who aim to influence policy change, making Gulalai Ismail one of the Gulmakai Champions.[9][10][11]
Aware Girls also conducts research, provides support and counselling and advocates for policy change for women in Pakistan affected by trauma as a result of terrorism and violence.[13] Saba Ismail's research has revealed that women are disproportionately affected by the economic problems associated with terrorism and by the increase in domestic violence associated with family psychological problems. She said in 2015, "Terrorism has destroyed houses, properties, businesses and livelihoods. Children are frightened and weep. Women have lost hope."[14]
Aware Girls also runs a referral helpline for victims of domestic gender based violence. The Marastyal helpline connects women with providers of emotional support, legal advice and emergency medical treatment.[15]
Awards
In 2014 Aware Girls received the Global Rising Star award from the Star Foundation.[16]
On November 24, 2016, Aware Girls was the recipient of the Fondation Chirac Peace Prize for its contribution to the prevention of conflict in Pakistan which was presented by the then French president Francois Hollande.[17]
Gulalai and Saba Ismail were also featured in Foreign Policy's 100 Leading Global Thinkers of 2013 for empowering girls in Pakistan.[6]
Criticism
Aware Girls is being criticised in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for violating cultural norms and making people liberated from culture and religion which directly impact the society's sentiment. Gulalai's video went viral when she was explaining rural girls about how they feel awkward and discomfort for putting chail -shawl used widely in Swabi which is considered as symbol of modesty and resistance historically.[21]
Sponsors and affiliations
Aware Girls has received funding from several organisations and among them lists the following as partners and/or donors:
