LONDON: Pakistan will have representation at the finals of the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Awards, after a young Pakistani girl, campaigning against child and forced marriages in tribal regions, was chosen for her courageous work.
Hadiqa Bashir, 15, is among the final list of 17 young social activists and reformers from 13 countries, in the running to be named Commonwealth Young Person of the Year, at an awards ceremony which will be held in the English capital in two weeks.
The Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work celebrate outstanding adolescents and young adults aged 15–29 from Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Americas, Africa and Europe, who are leading initiatives ranging from poverty alleviation to peace-building.
The Commonwealth Secretariat told sources that Hadiqa Bashir was an inspirational force in both her work and approach. She had campaigned against early and forced marriages in tribal regions of Pakistan, including Swara, a cultural practice in which young girls are married to elder persons.
In addition, Hadiqa attended and led many rallies against forces marriages. She did extensive engagement work at grassroots levels to raise awareness against the practice, a common occurrence in several backward areas of Pakistan.
Hadiqa worked through various avenues and mediums, working with legislators and religious leaders, engaging with civil society organisations to raise awareness of the importance of ending early and forced marriages.
Commonwealth Secretariat Youth Director Katherine Ellis said, “Through their own initiative, young leaders in communities across the world are delivering on the ambitious agenda set by governments on everything from eliminating hunger to protecting the environment.
“All of the outstanding finalists recognised today have demonstrated that young people are central to bringing forward positive change. Through these awards, we seek to celebrate their achievements and inspire others to follow in their footsteps, and encourage high level support for youth-led development efforts,” she added.
