Jalila Haider

Pakistani human rights lawyer and Provincial president of Women Democratic Front

Jalila Haider (Urdu: جلیلہ حیدر) is a Pakistani human rights lawyer and activist from Quetta in Balochistan. She is the first woman lawyer from Quetta's Hazara people. The Hazara are a minority group in Balochistan. She speaks for Hazara people and for their legal rights.[1] Haider was born on 10 December 1988 in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. She has a masters degree in international relations from the University of Balochistan. Jalila works with the Awami Workers Party (AWP) and leads the Women Democratic Front in Balochistan. Jalila started a non-profit organization called "We the Humans – Pakistan." This group makes local communities stronger in Balochistan, especially poor women and children.[2][3]

Jalila Haider
جلیله حیدر
Haider in 2020
Born
Jalila Haider

December 10, 1988
EducationMasters degree in International relations, University of Balochistan
Occupation(s)Lawyer, Feminist, Human rights-activist

Activism

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Haider speaks for Baloch political activists who have been killed or who are missing. She helps other people talk to the public about their problems. For example, she helped do hunger strikes so people would notice how hard things are for the Baloch community. In a hunger strike, a person does not eat until other people do the right thing. In April 2018, after nine Hazara people were killed, Haider went on a four-day hunger strike until the Chief of the Pakistani Army agreed to try to stop the murders.[4] Jalila Haider used to lead campaigns against the killing of the Hazara. She spoke in public about cruel to the Hazara and Pashtun people.[4] She believes that the Pashtun and Hazara are both trying to get their rights under the Constitution of Pakistan.[5]

Achievements

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In 2014, she was selected as an Atlantic Council Emerging Leaders of Pakistan Fellow. .[6]

In 2015, Haider was selected as one of 'News Women Power 50' list of Pakistan's most influential and powerful women. She was also a 2016 Swedish Institute Young Connectors of the Future Fellow.[6]

In 2019, Haider was named in BBC's 100 Women, which is a list of influential women from around the world compiled by BBC.[7]

In 2020, she received Hum TV Women Leaders Award.[8] The same year in March 2020, She was honoured with International Women of Courage award by the United States Department of State.[9]

In 2023, Haider won the Justitia Award. By winning it, she became the second Pakistan woman to win the award after Nida Usman won it in 2021.[10][11]

References

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  1. "Jalila Haider – ardent advocate of Hazara community rights". DAWN.com. 23 November 2018. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  2. "Iron lady: Pakistani lawyer Jalila Haider wins International Women of Courage Award". Gulf News. 4 March 2020.
  3. "Human rights activists Jalila Haider barred from traveling abroad". The Frontier Post.
  4. 4.0 4.1 Hashim, Asad. "Protest over targeted killings in Pakistan ends". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  5. "'This is not about Hazaras and non-Hazaras. It's a war between love and hate, and love will win'". Daily Times. 13 May 2018. Archived from the original on 13 October 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Jalila Haider". The Asia Foundation.
  7. "BBC 100 Women 2019: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  8. "HUM Network to honor Iranian filmmaker Narges Abyar with Women Leaders Award". Tehran Times. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
  9. "Jalila Haider, the 'Iron Lady of Balochistan' to receive US government's International Women of Courage award". WION. 4 March 2020.
  10. "Pakistani Lawyer Jalila Haider Wins Justitia Award". The Friday Times. 16 September 2023.
  11. "Justitia Awards 2023 – Women in Law Conference". Retrieved 6 February 2024.