Art project highlighting great Pakistani women goes online
Zubair Qureshi
Like women in Czech Republic or in any othe country of the world, Pakistani women also have the potential to lead the world and be a role model for other women of the country who constitute half of Pakistan’s population.
In order to highlight the Pakistani women’s achievements and to pay tribute to them, Ambassador of Czech Republic Tomáš Smetánka on Tuesday organized the launch of a web page titled “Heroines of Pakistan.” Deputy Foreign Minister of Czechia Mr Jiří Kozák who was on a visit to Pakistan launched the web page. Senior official (Spokesperson) Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Chairperson of the National Commission on Status of Women (NCSW) Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, former MPA Punjab Uzma Kardar, diplomats and civil society representatives attended the event.
The page features the Pakistani women from almost all major sectors/fields including politics, sports, education, human rights, showbiz etc.
Besides the Pakistani women, the Czech women of distinction are also featured in the list of the “Heroines of Pakistan and Czech Repiblic.”
A walk through gallery with portraits of the Pakistani and the Czech women of fame was also the centre of attraction for the audience.
With the launch of the page, around one hundred artistic portraits of women who shaped the past and present of Pakistan and Czechia, together with their short biographies, can be accessed at the domain ‘heroines.pk.’
Speaking on the occasion Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Jiří Kozák termed the launching of the web page an important step towards recognition of the Pakistani women and their achievements in Pakistan as well as the world.
I have remained actively engaged in the past in encouraging the Czech women to have greater public engagement, he said and that is why it gives me immense pleasure to be part of this event.
Heroines.pk is the next step of a co-operative project of a Czech arts school and the National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore that aims at highlighting the role of women in the society, providing role models, and supporting women empowerment.
In 2020, students of Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in the Czech city of Plzeň which incidently happens to be birth place of Mr Jiří Kozák, created a set of 50 posters of outstanding women of all times. The collection inspired National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore to produce a similar series, celebrating prominent Pakistani women. The Czech and Pakistani Heroines posters exhibition was then held in Lahore on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Pakistan last August. Afterwards, pictures of 50 + 50 great women from both countries have been edited into a book, published in December 2022.
In order to make the Czech and Pakistani Heroines widely accessible, the Czech Embassy prepared the online form of the book, which will also include an Urdu version. “I wish the Heroines serve in education, to widen boys’ and particularly girls’ view about the roles women have been playing and can play as professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, politicians, social activists,” said Ambassador Tomáš Smetánka. „
I do hope portraits of personalities like Samina Baig, Asma Jahangir, Perween Rahman or Arfa Kareem will inspire young ladies to the best use of their talents and abilities,” he concluded. “The women of Czech & Pakistan are resilient and fearless, their stories have a special place in our hearts and now they’ll live forever through the very special initiative: web page Heroines.pk,” Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar said while speaking on the occasion. The Czech Embassy, NCA, and Bata Pakistan Ltd. as sponsor of the project have also decided to establish The Heroine Award to be conferred every year to a woman that distinguishes herself in her profession or area of activity. The laureate’s portrait will then be added to the collection.
