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Pakistani senator Krishna Kumari named in BBC's 100 Women 2018 list

Pakistani senator Krishna Kumari named in BBC's 100 Women 2018 list

It's a message to those who believe that Pakistani minorities need not be given their rights, says Kumari
Updated 21 Nov, 2018

Human rights activist and senator Krishna Kumari has been named in the annual BBC 100 Women list that honours the achievements of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world every year.

39-year-old Krishna belongs to the Kohli community from the remote village of Dhana Gam in Nagarparkar and was elected as senator in March after spending many years working for the rights of bonded labourers in Pakistan. She is the first Thari Hindu woman to be elected to the Pakistan senate.

Speaking to Images about the honour on Tuesday, Kumari said she didn't have the words to express her happiness. "I belong to the Kohli community, which has been suppressed by landlords and forced to worked as slaves since time immemorial. I am very proud to have my efforts honoured by the BBC. I hope it serves as a message to those who believe that minority groups do not need to be given their rights."

She further shared that she's been constantly trying to contact her parents to share the good news but signal issues in their village have prevented her from talking to them.

Kumari's endeavours to end bonded labour in Pakistan are fuelled by her own childhood experience of being forced to work with her family by a landlord in Umerkot for three years before being rescued in a police raid.

After they were released from bonded labour, her parents encouraged her to study, supporting her from primary classes in Umerkot and Mirpurkhas to a postgraduate degree in sociology from the University of Sindh, Jamshoro.

After being trained further in human rights, Krishna worked for the Youth Civil Action Progr­amme to identify cases of bonded labour and conducted case studies focusing women under bondage, organised workshops and seminars on bonded labour, sexual harassment at workplace and other human and women’s rights issues and wrote for various newspapers.

When she was elected to Senate, she vowed to continue working for "the rights of the oppressed people, especially for the empowerment of women, their health and education."

Comments

Kashif Nov 19, 2018 05:08pm
Fantastic. Excellent.
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Pardeep Nov 19, 2018 05:19pm
Great to see this...
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Najum Nov 19, 2018 05:21pm
Inspiring stuff. Iron Lady.
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Mohammad Siddique Nov 19, 2018 05:32pm
Bravo Senator Kumari. God bless.
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Raza Nov 19, 2018 05:35pm
Congratulations. This is a big honor. More of the reason to continue your good work.
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Farrah Nov 19, 2018 05:49pm
An inspiration! A waft of fresh air. Keep it up!
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Khaled Nov 19, 2018 05:52pm
Good
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AB Nov 19, 2018 05:53pm
So far Krishna has done a wonderful job.Hope she is able to end bonded labour in the country specially from Sindh where the problem is acute and the people who run these camps are very influential.All the best to her
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Shahzad Shaikh Nov 19, 2018 05:55pm
Let's declare her to be a western agent too. Congrats senator you make people like me proud of you.
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Saad Nov 19, 2018 06:09pm
Congratulations ! Well Done.
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LCS Nov 19, 2018 06:09pm
Congratulations to Senator Kumari and many thanks for her hard work and dedication.
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Duh Nov 19, 2018 06:18pm
Stay Safe
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Ahsan Gul Nov 19, 2018 06:29pm
First congratulations to her for being goal oriented person. Hopefully, women around her city and in Pakistan will follow her.
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petere Nov 19, 2018 06:35pm
Helping less fortunate people is appreciated and she deserve this award !
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Changez Khan Nov 19, 2018 06:36pm
Good job Kumari.
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Ali Nov 19, 2018 06:48pm
Pakistan is proud of Senator Krishna Kumari on this great recognition.
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Bob Nov 19, 2018 06:50pm
Congratulations Krishna Kumariji. May you flourish, and achieve all your goals...from India
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N H Rana Nov 19, 2018 06:57pm
Very glad to know the achievement of our social fabric, good luck and wish you best of the world.
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R Sultan Nov 19, 2018 07:03pm
Great news. We need more minority Hindus in positions of responsibility and power in government - politics, civil service and military. Some affirmative action is needed to encourage their participation.
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Bala Nov 19, 2018 07:15pm
Awesome !!
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N.Sid Nov 19, 2018 07:56pm
If you want to decipher and look out for how far any country has progressed with inclusive growth and pluralist ideas, look at the living condition of its minority people, this is a good story...need to be replicated and lot of work need to be done.
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Prosperous Pakistan Nov 19, 2018 08:30pm
Refreshing stuff... Congrats mam, you make us proud
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Joe Nov 19, 2018 08:50pm
@Duh Stay Safe I agree with you.
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BNS Nov 19, 2018 09:07pm
Good job, Senator Kumari. Keep it up.
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Proud to be Indian Nov 19, 2018 10:42pm
Good to see hindus prosper around the world
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Veer Singh Nov 20, 2018 12:29am
Congrats! This is called succeeding even though the odds are completely stacked against you.
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Sajjad Khan Nov 20, 2018 01:02am
So touching to see members of Hindu community in Pakistan.
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Iqbal Khan Nov 20, 2018 01:54am
Proud of you Senator .
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Vishwajit Gangaputhran Nov 20, 2018 02:56am
awesome work....all the best, respect from india...peace to all
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Sailani Nov 20, 2018 04:14am
This is great, power to the people.
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Shujaat Khan Nov 20, 2018 04:39am
Congratulations. Keep up the good work.
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YesDude Nov 20, 2018 04:42am
We are proud of you Miss Kumari jee! Best of luck!
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Abhishek trivedi Nov 20, 2018 08:02am
Excellent my perception of Pakistan is changing.
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Babar Nov 20, 2018 09:42am
Keep the good work up-great ambassodor
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Rajeev Nov 20, 2018 10:19am
Well Done Ms Krishna. Your country should be proud of your achievement.
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DK Pamnani Nov 20, 2018 11:58am
Congratulations. More achievements expected from you. Stay Blessed.
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Syed Ahmed Nov 20, 2018 01:21pm
She has organised workshops and seminars on bonded labour. That is good. How about organizing police raids on the Brick Kilns where entire families, even unborn children, are in bond.
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MBA Nov 20, 2018 11:32pm
Such news are for me like promising light in the darkness: a woman from poor background AND from a religious minority sitting in senate! This lady deserves all respect and support from each and every Pakistani.
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Dileep Kumar Nov 22, 2018 04:54pm
Nice to see her
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Anand Kumar Nov 22, 2018 07:16pm
Pleased very much to see this that a daughter of our land "Tharparkar " becomes successful enough to count her name in this list. Kirshna you are really a proud and asset for our land,,,,,you haven't achieved all this magically but after a series of struggle and it is your struggle that counts .
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