The Modern Pakistani Woman: A Discussion on Feminism

Thursday, November 12

Time: 8:00pm 

Location: Room 516, Hamilton Hall

Columbia University

The Modern Pakistani Woman: A Discussion on Feminism in Pakistan. We have invited Afiya Zia and Rafia Zakaria to speak on issues affecting women in Pakistan and what it means to be a woman in modern-day Pakistan, with Nomi Naeem moderatoring the event. 

Afiya Zia: She is pursuing a PhD at the Women & Gender Studies Institute at the University of Toronto. She is a feminist researcher-scholar and activist who also authored 'Sex Crime in the Islamic Context'. She is currently completing a manuscript for publication titled, 'Faith and Feminism in Pakistan'. 

Rafia Zakaria: She is an author, attorney, and human rights activist who has worked on behalf of victims of domestic violence around the world. She is a columnist for Al Jazeera America and DAWN News, Pakistan's largest English-language newspaper. Zakaria was born and raised in Karachi and now lives in the United States, where she serves on the board of directors of Amnesty International USA. She is also the author of 'The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan', which is a memoir of Karachi through the eyes of its women.

Moderator- Nomi Naeem: He is a senior librarian at the Central Library (Society, Sciences and Technology division) of Brooklyn Public Library, where, in addition to reference, technology instruction, collection development and reader's advisory, he has also been facilitating a philosophy discussion group for more than 10 years. With a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and master's in information studies, he moved on to humanities and social sciences and is currently writing his final thesis on education for completing the requirements of master's in liberal studies program at the Graduate Center, CUNY.

This event is sponsored by the Organization of Pakistani Students - Columbia University.