By Rimsha Ali Shah

“Inspiration and interaction are related terms because when you interact with new people, they inspire your soul.  This is the power I felt at TEDxIslamabad!”

Nosheen Akhtar attended her first ever TEDx event on March 19, and said the experience inspired her to go the extra mile in “Breaking Barriers.”  She was one of 300 people in the audience at Aiwan-e-Quaid with eyes glued to the stage for four hours, inspired by the stories of six young women and men who had broken barriers to achieve amazing accomplishments.

Organized by Senior TEDx Ambassador and Acumen Fellow Saad Hamid and International Visitors Leadership Program alumnus and Co-Curator TEDxIslamabad Ahsan Mukhtar, TEDxIslamabad is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience.

“We received over 3000 applications and choosing just 300 attendees out of those wasn’t an easy task.   But we have tried to make sure that we get to have the most diverse audience, which is why we have attendees touching all major cities of Pakistan including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta, Swat and even beyond,” said Ahsan Mukhtar.  Of the 300 people in attendance, more than 70% were women.

TEDxIslamabad 2016: Breaking Barriers was made possible with the help of U.S. Embassy, Pakistan and a $5,000 USD grant from the Pakistan-U.S. Alumni Network (PUAN).  All alumni of various U.S. government sponsored exchange programs in Pakistan are eligible to apply for the grant to enable them to give back to their communities.  “Breaking barriers is all about the achievements of women and the men who have supported them,” said Deputy Chief of Mission at U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Jonathan Pratt, in his video message.

Ordinary Women with Extra-Ordinary Courage

“Don’t let the fear of being the only one doing something undermine you.  Women, be your own hero!”

These words of Noor Aftab, President of the International Women Economic Council (IWEC) and the inaugural speaker, resonated equally with the men and women in the crowd.  Her story of breaking the glass-ceiling in the financial sector of Pakistan, an area dominated by men, was a bold reminder of the power of strong-willed women to push through socially-imposed boundaries.

Each talk was a testament to the resilience and courage of Pakistani women.  The story of the youngest speaker, fourteen-year-old activist Hadiqa Bashir from Swat, founder of Girls United and recipient of the third Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, was a strong reminder of the struggles and achievements of women in Pakistan.  Since the age of 11, Bashir has raised awareness in her neighborhood against
the curse of child marriages.  Her mission was prompted by a personal encounter with the issue.

Mahoor Jamal, the fashion illustrator from Peshawar “who happens to wear a niqab” inspired the audience with her story of embracing contradictions.  Her work as a small city girl with big dreams had the audience in complete awe.  View her illustrations on her Facebook page EM JAY.

Apart from finance, art, and social work, TEDxIslamabad featured Samar and Gul, the first Pakistani female cyclists who attempted to ride 4693km despite societal pressures.  Gul and Samar said, “we wanted to break stereotypes and set an adventurous example for other females to let go of their fears and doubts.”

Amna Mawaz, an alumna of Study of the U.S. Institute for Student Leaders, a political activist and Bharatnatyam dancer, spoke about breaking barriers of injustice and bringing back public debate, followed by a powerful Bharatnatyam performance on the theme.

TEDxIslamabad also featured Assam Khalid on “The art and science of advertising and communication” and Umair Jaliwala on “breaking mental barriers.”  The event included performances by passionate Urdu storyteller Taimur Rehman and the All-Girls band from Nescafe Basement, who performed live together for the first time.

For Mujtaba Bukhari, this year’s TEDxIslamabad proved to be an eye-opener in many ways.  “The personal stories of women breaking barriers at all stages of life was truly inspiring.  It was a great evening of listening and getting energized by ideas truly worth spreading.”