Mahnaz Rahman

Mahnaz Rahman

Human Rights Activist, Senior Journalist, Former Resident Director, Karachi, Aurat Foundation
My stay in AF marked my political turning point. I came to embrace feminism.

I joined the Aurat Foundation in 1995, at the launch of its political education program, a bold initiative at a time when most NGOs avoided politics. As the Sindh’s coordinator, I worked in a space that encouraged critical engagement with power, democracy, and social justice, shaping my political trajectory.

Through this program, I encountered thinkers such as Eqbal Ahmad, a close associate of Noam Chomsky, who valued our seminars as rare forums for critical thought in Pakistan. I also learned from Vandana Shiva early in her career and from economists like Qaiser Bengali, who challenged the agendas of the IMF and World Bank.

This period marked my political turning point. I came to embrace feminism, having previously identified solely as a revolutionary leftist. Like many on the left, I had believed that dismantling capitalism would automatically resolve all forms of oppression, including patriarchy. Feminism was often dismissed as secondary to class struggle, a view increasingly challenged by women who refused to wait for liberation to arrive.

Nigar Ahmad was central to my political reorientation. She helped me understand that women experience distinct forms of oppression that require deliberate and affirmative action. Class matters, but so do gender and other forms of exclusion. Equality must be consciously built. This insight shaped Aurat Foundation’s advocacy for 33 percent representation for women in elected bodies. While confronting patriarchy remains essential, I continue to see class inequality and labor exploitation as equally urgent. Gender justice must therefore be pursued alongside broader struggles for social and economic equality.

In parallel with women’s rights work, I also engaged in advocacy for religious minority rights, contributing to legislative efforts that, while limited, provided a foundation for future change. In 2010, I became Resident Director of Aurat Foundation, following Anis Haroon. Weekly Women’s Action Forum meetings continued at the Foundation for a long time. I remained with Aurat Foundation till June 2024, at which time this enriching chapter of my life came to a close, one that I cherish to this day.