25 women under 25 will be awarded for their extraordinary accomplishments

The Little Art has announced the names of 25 women who were selected for its 25 Under 25 Award.

The 25 Under 25 Award is an initiative to recognise 25 exceptional young women under the age of 25 who have stories of passion and resilience to inspire young girls, says a press release.

The Little Art director/founder Shoaib Iqbal said the objective for the initiative was to find young women whose stories could be shared with schoolchildren as role models.

“We were astonished by the response to our call from across Pakistan as young women from all over the country applied for the award.”

Mr Iqbal added the final 25 were shortlisted on the basis of their work, drive and leadership qualities.

“These 25 young women represent the geographic and cultural diversity of Pakistan.”

Shoaib Iqbal hoped that through this programme, exposure and support, the young women would be able to excel more in their lives.

The stories of these women would be published in the 25 Under 25 book while five best stories will have short films made on them as well. These women will be given awards in an event in September 2020.

The selected women include Yumna Majeed, a space educator and founder of Exploration; Aradhiya Khan, a 21-year old Pakistani transwoman activist; Anjili Jewraj from Jacobabad; Saira Zahid, a cyclist from Skardu; Iqra, an architect from BUITEMS, Quetta; Raheen Fatima, the youngest professional female stand-up comedian and Hani Baloch, a social activist from Karachi.

Originally published in Dawn, July 19th, 2020