One of the main themes of International Women's Day is gender equality. While progress has been made in recent years, women still face significant barriers to equality in many areas of life. Women are still underrepresented in politics, business and other leadership roles, and they are more likely to experience poverty, violence and discrimination. International Women's Day serves as a reminder that these issues need to be addressed in order to create a more just and equal society.
Today, women continue to break barriers and shatter stereotypes in fields ranging from science and technology to sports and the arts. Renowned examples include the eight Ismaili players Aliya Sadiq, Aliza Sabir, Anmol Hira, Malika-e-Noor, Marvi Baig, Sahar Zaman, Sara Khan and Suha Hirani in the National Women’s Football Team, headed to the Olympic Qualifiers during the month of April 2023, with Malik-e-Noor, a football player from Pakistan born on 11th July 1994, who serves as Vice-Captain of the Pakistan team. As Captain of the Pakistan Army football team, she is a defender and midfielder and has participated in more than 200 professional games as of 2022, scoring a colossal 94 goals to date. Noor scored the 89th-minute winning goal from a penalty shot in Pakistan's first competitive victory at the 2010 SAFF Women's Championship.
Sharing their achievements, two footballers from Hunza, Sahar Zaman and Marvi Baig are also generating pride for the community. Playing from a very young age, Sahar Zaman has won five gold medals at the National Women’s Football Championships and two gold medals at the National Games. She has represented the Pakistan Women’s Football Team in two SAFF Cups, South Asian Games, Bahrain Friendlies and in Saudia Arabia at four National Women’s Football tournaments.
While Marvi Baig has played at Gilgit Baltistan Girls Football League in 2018 and participated in several events held under the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board for Pakistan, she played for the Highlanders WFC Islamabad in 2021 and scored her first goal at the national level against Diya WFC.
Aliza Sabir, another football player from Karachi, has represented Pakistan in national cricket and football teams; her skills have earned her recognition and opportunities to play at higher levels. In 2023, Aliza represented Pakistan in the U19 Women's Cricket World Cup, a significant achievement for any young athlete and reflects Aliza's dedication to cricket and her talent as a player. Playing in various competitions, including the U16 South Asian Football Championship in Bhutan and Mongolia in 2018, she also represented the Pakistan Army team at the National Games in 2019, where her team achieved first runners-up.
These young athletes are change agents at breaking the stereotypes of Pakistani culture about women in sports. They aim to work for women's empowerment and inspire girls to participate in sports throughout the country.
To provide equal opportunities to women, Imamat Institutions are working to empower women through different programmes by providing them with the tools, resources and opportunities needed to reach their full potential. This includes access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities, as well as the freedom to choose their own path every day.
