Tabassum Adnan

Hailing from the formerly Taliban-controlled Swat Valley, Tabassum Adnan is a women’s rights advocate. Married at just 13 years-old, Ms. Adnan divorced her husband after 20 years of physical and mental abuse – a move that caused her to lose her children, her home, and money. Abandoned and impoverished, she started her own NGO, Khwendo Jirga, or Sister’s Council. Khwendo Jirga is the first ever women-only Jirga, meeting weekly to address issues of honor killings, acid attacks, and swara, which is the act of handing over women as compensation for crimes or as a resolution of a dispute. Khwendo Jirga is also a staging ground to launch awareness campaigns for local women’s causes, including on issues related to women and their security, and mobilizes women to vote, offers free legal assistance to survivors of violence, and regularly meets with elected representatives to promote women’s interests in the district. Ms. Adnan’s calls to action in a child rape case resulted in her being invited to join the Grand Male Jirga in prosecuting the suspects – the first time in Pashtun history that a woman was an active participant in a Jirga. Ms. Adnan continues her work and advocacy despite numerous threats, as well as recommendations from friends and colleagues to keep a low profile.