Pakistani film star Mahira Khan and Dr. Sania Nishtar, working in a top government position on poverty alleviation, are among the BBC’s latest list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2020.
Mahira is a heartthrob among South Asian communities spread across the globe while Dr. Sania is a distinguished leader, serving as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection.
The British Broadcasting Corporation’s 100 Women highlights women who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times.
Sania Nishtar has been featured under the Knowledge Category and Mahira under the Creative Category.
Dr. Sania welcomed her inclusion in the list, saying she was “truly honoured to be on the list of BBC 100 women who have made a difference in 2020!”
Afghanistan’s Laleh Osmany, an activist who started the WhereIsMyName campaign, has also made it to the list of influential women.
Laleh’s effort has helped the cause of women in the war-torn country, where the Afghan government would now be putting women’s names on the national ID cards as well as on their children’s birth certificates.
India’s Bilkis is another prominent woman. Bilkis, 82, has emerged as a strong voice in opposing New Delhi’s controversial citizenship law that has been criticized for being discriminatory towards its Muslim population.
Safaa Kumari, a scientist brings some relief to Syrians, who have suffered the worst form of brutality since the 2011 civil war that turned into an international conflict with proxies playing havoc with the lives of the people. Kumari is credited with discovering seeds that help protect food in Syria. She has won praise for rescue them from the historical city of Aleppo at great personal peril.
Other leading women appearing on the list are Finnish leader Sanna Marin, who heads the country’s all-female coalition government, actress Michelle Yeoh, of the new Avatar and Marvel films, actress-turned-climate activist Jane Fonda, and Sarah Gilbert, who spearheads Oxford University’s research into a coronavirus vaccine.
