By Junaid Qaiser
A nation’s progress is about more than economic growth, infrastructure or political stability. It should also be measured by the opportunities available to women. When a society educates its daughters, respects their ambitions and welcomes their full participation in public life, it invests in its own future. Pakistan has made strides in this regard, yet social and institutional barriers still keep many women from reaching their potential.
There is reason for optimism: more Pakistani women are challenging traditional expectations and building careers in politics, public administration, education, business and other fields. Their experiences show that talent and determination have nothing to do with gender. Often, women simply need the chance to demonstrate what they can do—and the confidence to seize it.
This was the central message delivered by Samar Haroon Bilour, Adviser to the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Information and Public Relations, Relief, Rehabilitation and Settlement, during an Iqbal Day ceremony at Government Girls Degree College, Zaryab Colony, Peshawar. Addressing students as the chief guest, she urged young women to believe in their abilities, set ambitious goals and pursue their dreams with confidence, hard work and determination.
What made her address especially meaningful was the experience behind it. Instead of giving students broad advice about success, Bilour spoke candidly about the hardships she had endured and how she kept going in the face of personal tragedy and social resistance.
She married at 18, while still a student. Her life changed dramatically when her father-in-law, Shaheed Bashir Ahmed Bilour, was killed in a terrorist attack. Nearly five years later, her husband, Shaheed Haroon Bilour, was also killed in a terrorist attack. In the aftermath, she was left to raise her children and support her family while facing an uncertain future.
For any individual, such losses would be difficult to overcome. Yet Bilour chose not to withdraw from public life or allow personal circumstances to determine the limits of her future. Instead, she accepted her responsibilities and gradually found the strength to take on a new role in politics.
Her decision to contest an election from her late husband’s constituency was not an easy one. She recalled that many people questioned whether a woman could win an election in Peshawar’s traditionally conservative Pashtun society. At the time, even the publicity surrounding her campaign largely identified her as Begum Haroon Bilour rather than recognising her as an independent political candidate.
That detail reveals something important about the challenges women face when entering public life. Often, their identities are defined through their family relationships rather than their own abilities and achievements. Women seeking political or professional positions must therefore overcome not only practical obstacles but also assumptions deeply embedded in society.
Bilour’s subsequent electoral success challenged those assumptions. She pointed out that people now display billboards carrying her own name and photograph, and that she has been elected by the people of Peshawar twice. Her experience demonstrates that public attitudes can change when women are given the opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities.
There is a broader lesson here for Pakistan’s younger generation. Social conventions should not become permanent barriers to progress. Every meaningful change requires someone willing to take the first step, even when the surrounding environment is not entirely supportive. Those who challenge established expectations often make it easier for others to follow.
For young women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, this message is especially relevant. The province has enormous human potential, but many girls continue to face difficulties in accessing quality education, pursuing professional careers and participating in decision-making. Their ambitions should not be restricted by outdated perceptions about what women can or cannot achieve.
Bilour encouraged students to consider careers in politics, the police, the armed forces, civil services and other professions. Her message was straightforward: women should identify their goals, work consistently towards them and refuse to be discouraged by criticism or social pressure.
However, encouraging women to dream big must be accompanied by practical measures that make those dreams achievable. Access to education, professional training, safe workplaces, financial opportunities and fair recruitment processes is essential. Government institutions, educational establishments, families and communities all have a responsibility to create conditions in which women can compete and succeed on merit.
Bilour’s reference to the professional dedication of Ms Wazir in Peshawar, who continues performing her official duties on the streets until 2am, highlighted the contribution women are already making in demanding public-sector roles. Such examples challenge the stereotype that certain professions or responsibilities are unsuitable for women.
Her remarks about the situation of women in neighbouring Afghanistan also carried an important warning. The restrictions imposed on girls’ education and women’s professional participation demonstrate the consequences of denying half the population opportunities to contribute to society. Education and professional freedom should never be treated as privileges dependent on changing political or ideological circumstances.
Pakistan must remain firmly committed to protecting the rights of its women and girls. Keeping girls in schools and colleges, expanding access to higher education and ensuring that women can participate in economic and political activities are not merely questions of social welfare. They are essential elements of national development.
It is also important to recognise that women’s empowerment is not a competition between men and women. It is about building a society in which individuals can contribute according to their abilities. Educated and professionally successful women strengthen families, improve institutions and bring valuable perspectives to public decision-making.
Parents have a particularly important role in this process. A daughter’s ambitions should receive the same encouragement as a son’s. Educational institutions must go beyond academic instruction and help students develop leadership qualities, critical thinking and confidence. Political parties and public institutions, meanwhile, should provide women with genuine opportunities to participate rather than limiting their representation to symbolic positions.
For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, investing in young women could have far-reaching consequences. The province needs skilled professionals, capable administrators, educated teachers, healthcare workers and responsible political leadership. Its young women can contribute significantly to these objectives if the necessary opportunities are made available.
