Nigar Ahmed (16 February 1945 – 24 February 2017) was a Pakistani

women’s rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

activist who founded the

Women’s Action Forum Women's Action Forum (WAF) is a women's rights organization in Pakistan. History Women's Action Forum (WAF) was established in Karachi in September, 1981 Aurat Foundation Aurat Foundation, founded in 1986, is a women's rights organization based in Islamabad, Pakistan. Its co-founders were Nigar Ahmed and Shahla Zia. Aurat Foundation lobbies and advocates for women. It also holds demonstrations and public awareness ...

. She died aged 72.

Early life and education

Ahmed was born in

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

in 1945, to Riazuddin Ahmad and Akhtar. She got her early education from the Convent of Jesus and Mary. She did Masters in Economics from

Government College Lahore The Government College University, Lahore (colloquially known as GCU), is a public research university located in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. Opened as Government College, Lahore, in 1864, it became a university in 2002. Overview In 1864, Gov ...

. She was a member of the Government College Dramatics Club and later editor of the famous magazine Ravi. Later she went to New Hall, Cambridge, on a Commonwealth scholarship. After coming back, she taught Economics in

Quaid-i-Azam University Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad ( ur, ; commonly referred to as QAU), founded as University of Islamabad, is a ranked 1 public research university in Islamabad, Pakistan. Founded as the University of Islamabad in 1967, it was initially dedi ...

Feminism

Soon after formation of Women's Action Forum in 1981 in Karachi, Ahmed started the Islamabad and Lahore chapters in 1982. While living in Islamabad for nearly sixteen years, she stayed involved in the women’s movement. She co-founded

Aurat Foundation Aurat Foundation, founded in 1986, is a women's rights organization based in Islamabad, Pakistan. Its co-founders were Nigar Ahmed and Shahla Zia. Aurat Foundation lobbies and advocates for women. It also holds demonstrations and public awareness ...

in 1986 with the late Shehla Zia under the dictatorship era of Zia ul Haq.

Personal life

Ahmed married Tariq Siddiqi, a civil servant, in

Swat In the United States, a SWAT team (special weapons and tactics, originally special weapons assault team) is a police tactical unit that uses specialized or military equipment and tactics. Although they were first created in the 1960s to ...

. They had two sons together, Bilal and Ahmad. Her husband and both sons got Ph.D. degrees.

Death

Ahmed was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2001. In 2017, she was suffering with chest infection and admitted to a hospital in Lahore, where she died.

Awards

In 2005, her name was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize among other Pakistani women. In 2010, she received Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah Life Time Achievement Award.

References

1945 births 2017 deaths Pakistani women's rights activists People from Lahore Pakistani women activists Pakistani feminists {{Pakistan-bio-stub