Fouzia Saeed

Fouzia Saeed is a Pakistani social activist, author, and gender expert who has dedicated decades to women's rights. She works as a trainer, facilitator, and development manager while promoting folk culture throughout the country. Her extensive body of work addresses issues such as sexual harassment, prostitution, and women's mobility.

Early life and education

Saeed completed most of her early schooling and college education in Peshawar. She graduated from the University of Peshawar in 1979 with a BS in Home Economics. For her academic excellence, she earned the title of University Gold Medallist. This achievement led to a Quaid-e-Azam Overseas Educational Award.

She spent 8 years at the University of Minnesota to pursue higher studies. During this period, she earned an MS in design and a doctorate in education. The Ethel L. Parker International Fellowship Award from the American Home Economics Association provided additional funding for her doctoral research. After completing her degrees, she returned to Pakistan immediately.

Career

Saeed's activism includes founding Bedari in 1991, which served as the first women’s crisis center in Pakistan. For over 20 years, she has focused on combating violence against women. She also worked for more than a decade to reduce sexual harassment and address debt bondage affecting Hindu women. In 2000, she helped form AASHA, an alliance designed to fight sexual harassment.

Her professional expertise led to several high-level government appointments. On 10 March 2009, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani named her to a three-year term on the National Commission on the Status of Women. She later served as the Chair of the Sexual Harassment Legislation Implementation Watch Committee from May 2010 to May 2012. In February 2015, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed her as the executive director of Lok Virsa. She completed this term on 9 February 2018 after revitalizing the institute.

In January 2020, Prime Minister Imran Khan appointed her as the Director General of the Pakistan National Council of the Arts. Between September 2012 and February 2015, she held several prestigious fellowships. These included positions at the US National Endowment for Democracy, Stanford University, George Mason University, and the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She also directed Mehergarh: A Center for Learning from 2004 until 2012.

As an author, she has published several significant books. Her first work, TABOO!: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light District, provides an ethnographic look at prostitution. She wrote Working with Sharks in 2011 to expose sexual harassment within the United Nations. Other publications include Forgotten Faces: Daring Women of Pakistan’s Folk Theatre, Folk Heritage of Pakistan: Glimpses into a Cultural Diversity, On Their Own Terms, and her 2021 book Tapestry.

Personal life

Saeed lives in Islamabad with her husband. The couple met in 1995 while working for the United Nations in Pakistan. They have resided together in Manila, Kabul, and Cairo. She is a skilled SCUBA diver who has explored waters in the Bahamas, Fiji, and the Philippines.

In July 2021, she suffered serious injuries during a road accident while on an expedition to central Balochistan. This mission was intended to identify young artistic talent for the PNCA. By July 2022, she had begun to reengage with Pakistani society.

Awards and recognition

The University of Minnesota presented Saeed with the Distinguished International Alumni Award in 1998. She received the International Leadership Award from the same institution in 2008. In 2010, the government of Japan named her one of seven Asian Leadership Fellows.

In February 2020, HUM TV recognized her as one of the ten most outstanding women leaders of Pakistan. This honor acknowledged her services to Pakistani culture and her commitment to women's advancement. Additionally, she received the 2012 Battle of Crete Award from the Oxi Day Foundation for her struggle to criminalize sexual harassment.