Two proud Pakistani women have earned their names in the most coveted list of BBC 100 Women of 2023 consisting of more inspiring and influential women from around the world.
Two women of Pakistani origin, one is a shepherdess from the remote mountainous Shimshal valley in Pakistan and a midwife, who played a crucial role in providing life-saving care during record-breaking floods last year, have earned spots on the BBC’s prestigious list of 100 inspiring and influential women worldwide for 2023.
The list includes notable figures such as attorney and former US First Lady Michelle Obama, human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, Ballon d’Or-winning footballer Aitana Bonmatí, AI expert Timnit Gebru, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, Hollywood star America Ferrera, and beauty mogul Huda Kattan.
Amid a year dominated by headlines of extreme heat, wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters, the list also showcases women actively working to assist their communities in addressing climate change and adapting to its impacts.
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The BBC introduced Afroze-Numa, the Pakistani shepherdess from Shimshal Valley, as one of the last Wakhi shepherdesses, caring for goats, yaks, and sheep for nearly three decades. Having inherited the trade from her mother and grandmothers, she represents a centuries-old tradition fading away in Pakistan’s Shimshal Valley.
Afroze-Numa, the first woman in Shimshal Valley to own a pair of shoes, leads her flocks to pastures 4,800m (16,000ft) above sea level each year, engaging in the preparation of dairy products for barter.
The second Pakistani woman featured on the BBC list is Neha Mankani, who, through her charity Mama Baby Fund, provided life-saving birthing kits and midwifery care to over 15,000 flood-affected families.
Focused on low-resourced settings, emergency response, and climate-affected communities, Mama Baby Fund has successfully raised funds to launch a boat ambulance, ensuring the urgent transport of pregnant women from coastal communities to nearby hospitals and clinics.
Quoted by the BBC, Mankani emphasized the vital role of midwives in climate-related disasters, serving as both first responders and climate activists to ensure women receive necessary reproductive, pregnancy, and postpartum care despite deteriorating conditions.
Via: ArabNews
