Pakistan'sMunibaMazarinamedgoodwill

ambassadorbyUNWomen
IRFANHAIDER U PD AT ED DE C 10,2015 10:38PM
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AsthegoodwillambassadorMunibawilldedicatehereffortstowardstheempowermentofwomen
andgirls.Photoprovidedbyauthor
ISLAMABAD:UNWomen,theUnitedNationsentityforgenderequalityandtheempowermentof
women,namedMunibaMazariasPakistansfirstfemalegoodwillambassadortoadvancegender
equalityandtheempowermentofwomenandgirls.
AsthegoodwillambassadorforUNWomenPakistan,Munibawilldedicatehereffortstowardsthe
empowermentofwomenandgirls,andwouldserveasanadvocateforUNWomensPlanet5050by
2030:StepItUpforGenderEqualityandothercampaigns.
MunibaMazariisawriter,artist,singer,activistandamotivationalspeaker.Sheisalsoaparaplegic,
havinglostcontrolofbothlegsinacaraccident.

Throughhervibrantpaintings,sheexpressesinboldcoloursthestrengthofherownpersonality.Her
purposeistoinspireotherstolivetheirlivestothefullest.
Alsoread:Celebrating16daysofactivismagainstgenderviolence
SpeakingattheeventheldinIslamabad,Munibasaid,IamastrongsupporterofUNWomenandthe
rolewehaveinendinggenderbaseddiscrimination,andworkingtowardsgenderequality,makingita
livedrealityby2030."
Weneedtoeducatebothmenandwomenifwewanttoeliminategenderbaseddiscriminationfrom
thecountryandfromtheworld,andforthiswe'llhavetoworktogetherasone,shesaid.
Readmore:Inspiringstoriessharedonglobalwomensday
Thisisthetimetoempowerwomenandgirlsbecausewhenyouempoweronewoman,youempower
thewholegeneration,Munibaadded.

'Pakistanplacewherewomencanmaketheirmark'
BelowisanexcerptfromaninterviewMunibagavetoDawninwhichtheartisttalkedaboutthe
accidentthatchangedherlifeandherresolvetomoveon.
Q.Doyoufeelresentfulwhenyouthinkabouttheaccidentwhichleftyouhandicappedforlife?
A.Whenthecarstartedgoingintoaditch,Iknewthiswastheendofmylife.WhenIgained
consciousnessIwasrecitingthekalmaandthinkingIhavebeengivenanewlife.Halfofmybody
wasfracturedandtherestparalysed.Ineithercomplainnorblameanyone.Ibelieveitwasdestinedto
happen.Iwas20yearsoldatthetimeandhadnotdoneanythingspecialinmylife.Today,Iknow
whereIamgoingandmylifeisimportanttome.
Q.Followingtheaccident,howdidyoudevelopyourselfasthepersonthatyouaretoday?
A.IbeganpaintingwhileIwasstillattheAghaKhanHospital.Iwasbandagedalloverandcould
barelymovemyhandsbutpaintedbecauseIwantedtodistractmyself.Today,Iworkataschoolfor
underprivilegedchildren.Myaimistofinddonorsandphilanthropistswhowouldfundtheschoolso
thatmorechildrenmaybeenrolled.IamalsoapartofToniandGuyswheelchairmodelling
campaign,thebrandambassadorfortheBodyShopPakistanandPondsmiraclewoman.
Alsoread:TwoPakistanisonBBC's2015100Womenlist
TheannouncementofMunibaasPakistansfirstfemalenationalgoodwillambassadorforgender
equalityandwomensempowermentisverytimelyasitfollowstheadoptionbythePrimeMinster
NawazSharif,alongwithotherworldleaders,ofanewdevelopmentframeworkinSeptember2015at
theUNGeneralAssembly.
Thenewagendabasedonseventeensustainabledevelopmentgoals,includesastandalonegoalon
genderequalityandtheempowermentofwomenandgirls,aswellasgendersensitivetargetswithin
theothergoals.

TheglobalinitiativeOrangetheWorld:EndViolenceagainstWomenandGirlsisledbyUN
WomenonbehalfoftheUNSecretaryGeneralsglobalcampaignUNiTEtoendviolenceagainst
women.
Thecampaignsorangecolourreflectsabrightandoptimisticfutureforwomenandgirls,andalife
freefromviolenceanddiscrimination.