Khalida Brohi

Khalida Brohi is an award-winning author, social entrepreneur, and peace activist from Pakistan. Born in Balochistan and raised in rural Sindh, she grew up in a very patriarchal society and faced many obstacles due to gender inequality. However, despite the struggle, she has always been driven by her passion for peace, justice, and gender equality.

Khalida’s career as a social entrepreneur began in 2006, when she founded Sughar, a non-profit organization that works towards empowering women in rural Pakistan. Sughar focuses on providing training, resources, and support to rural women so that they are able to become self-sufficient and independent. Through the organization, she has been able to help countless women gain their independence, dignity and the skills to start their own businesses.

In 2014, Khalida was named a “Women of Impact” Honorary Fellow at the University of Washington, and was awarded a “Hero of Mankind” award by the United Nations in 2015. She has also received funding from the Ashoka Foundation and Microsoft, amongst other organizations.

Khalida’s life story has inspired a book written by Prerna Sodhi in 2019, entitled I Am Muzaffar. The book is a candid and inspiring look into the courage and determination that Khalida exudes as she fights for gender justice and peace in Pakistan. Through her story, Prerna brings to life the struggles and triumphs that Khalida has encountered throughout her life, and the impact she has had on the women of Pakistan.

Khalida has also written her own book, titled ‘Fireflies for Freedom’ which she co-authored with Shobha A. De. Based on her life story and the journey of becoming a social entrepreneur, the book talks about the barriers she had to overcome while making Sughar a successful organization. Through this book, Khalida hopes to spread the message of hope, equality, and justice.

The ultimate hope of Khalida and her organization is to end honour killings, a practice in Pakistan which affects countless women every year and which she has made her mission to eliminate. Through her work, she works to raise awareness of this issue and to inspire change in society.

Khalida is a true role-model and her humanitarian efforts are to be admired. As a strong advocate of women’s rights and justice and peace, she continues to work and inspire countless lives. Her powerful story shows that dreams can become reality with hard work, determination and passion.