Simorgh – Women’s Resource & Publication Centre Started in 1985 as a part-time initiative and formalised as a full-time organisation in 1995, Simorgh is a non-government, non-profit, feminist/activist organisation.

Simorgh’s main focus is research and dissemination of information that will enable women and men to challenge the dominance of ideas that support social and economic divisions on the basis of gender, class, religion, race and nationality.  Simorgh aims to redefine the culturally biased roles of men and women, and to promote not only equality between the genders, but to allow each individual to develop and find expression in his/her own right.

Simorgh acknowledges the fact that while women’s oppression cuts across class, race, religion, age, nationality and the politics of economic arrangements, it cannot be separated from these issues.  Thus, while recognising the interconnections between gender subordination and other forms of oppression, and taking into account the systemic discriminations in our own society, we do not discount the fact that income gains in the developed capitalist countries have resulted partly from the political manipulation and impoverishment of the Third World. Believing that cultural conditioning rather than biological differences defines the behavioural patterns of women and men, Simorgh is of the view that women must themselves play a more active role in bringing about the changes they seek.  The first step in this direction would be to empower then with knowledge, skills, economic independence, and an awareness of the role that the dominant culture – in collusion with the divisions of class, religion and ethnicity – plays in keeping them in their present position.

Simorgh’s position comprises the materialistic view of society, enlarged by feminism.  However, we have consciously avoided putting ourselves into any existing category, as defined by Western feminists.  We believe that we have to develop our own approach to our problems in accordance with our historical and socio-economic needs. Simorgh works with students, teachers, media professionals, NGOs and CBOs.  Our main focus being research and dissemination of information, we strive to achieve our objective through publications, seminars, conferences, documentary films, gender awareness workshops, and, skill dissemination and income-generation projects.

Simorgh has selected the following areas of focus in its agenda for change:

RESOURCE POOL

ACADEMICS

Anjana Raza:

1992 as a volunteer.  Rejoined in 2002-2005 as a permanent staff member.

Human Rights School Text Project Coordinator

Graphic Designer/Illustrator/Desktop Publisher

Teacher Training Project

Project Director and Facilitator of the Trinjan Quilt Project for the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, 1995.

BA (Liberal Arts), Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, USA

MA Goldsmiths University of London

Rubina Saigol:

1996-1999 as a programme officer/ Research Associate

Human Rights Text Books Project

Ph.D in Sociology of Education, University of Rochester.

MA in Development Psychology, Columbia University

Kauser Sheikh:

1999 as a researcher, story writer

Human Rights Text Books Project

BA.Hons, M.A English Literature (Kinnaird College), University of Punjab

Study on Human Rights, Columbia University

Marium Abrar:

April 2001 to 2010.

Administrative Coordinator & Accounts Incharge.

Coordinator Planting the seeds of change: Human Rights Workshops for Consultising the Women’s police force.

She is also responsible for translation work.

MA Public Administration, University of Punjab

BA (Kinnaird College), University of Punjab

Hina Azfar:

February 2003 to March 2009.

Editor Bayan

LLB Punjab Law College, Lahore

BA University of the Punjab

BSc   (Kinnaird College), University of Punjab

Samiya Mumtaz:

.October 1997 – November 1997, October 2001 to date.

Conference Coordinator (‘Politics of Language’, ‘Colonial Roots and Post-colonial Identities’)

Editor of ‘Engendering the Nation-State’ I & II

Editor Bayan

BA Mount Holyoke College, Massachusetts, USA

BA (Kinnaird College), University of Punjab

Naveen Qayyum:

April 2002 to May 2007.

Coordinator Human Rights School Text Project (Urdu).

She is also responsible for translation and editing.

MA (Kinnaird College), University of Punjab

BA (Kinnaird College), University of Punjab

Shahina Hanif:

April 2004 to March 2009.

Graphic Designer/coordinator publication

MA SOAS, University of London.

BA NCA, Lahore.

Samina Choonara:

August 2000 – January 2002, August 2004 to March 2007.

Honor Killing Project

Editor ‘Inner Courtyard’

Editor (Publication)

MPhil Social and Political Thought, Sussex

MA Philosophy Karachi University

Sabeeha Latif:

February 2007 to July 2010

Field Researcher

MA Education, MA Economics University of the Punjab.

ARTISTS/DESIGNERS & WRITERS 

Ahmed Ali (Artist – Professional)
Amna Shah Amna Yakin
Amna Zulfiqar
Bano Razee (Artist – Student)
Beenish (Artist – Student)
Khooban Hasan (Artist – Student)
Maaheen Ahmed (Writer – Student)
Maryam Rahman (Artist – Professional)
Murad Khan Mumtaz (Artist – Student)
Nadeem Basheer (Artist – Professional)
Nusra Latif (Artist – Professional)
Sahar Ghani (Artist – Professional)
Saba Khan (Artist – Professional)
Sara Hameed (Writer – Student)
Sara Khan (Artist – Student)
Zhila Shah (Writer)
Zoreen (Artist – Student)

PRINTERS

L & W Printers (Supervision, Printing)
Shahid Pervaiz (Supervision, Printing)
Tabassum Salim (Supervision, Printing)

Collective Members:

Ferida Sher (sociologist):

MA Social Work (Pb). MA Economics (Development Studies) (Manchester).

Work Experience: Over 25 years of teaching, Programme Manager in Population Planning and Grassroots Development. Gender Consultant and Resource Person/ Lead Trainer Gender Orientation workshops, training of trainer workshops etc, project analyst etc.

• Founder member: Women’s Action Forum 1981
• Founder member: Simorgh 1985

Nasrene Shah (educationist):

BA Karachi.  Postgraduate Diploma Social Studies Bedford College, University of London.

Work Experience: Over twenty-five years of teaching.

Founder, Director and Principal Lahore Grammar School System – a group of progressive schools for girls and boys.

• Founder member Women’s Action Forum 1981
• Founder member Simorgh 1985

Samina Bano Rahman (educationist):

 MA English (Pb). MA (Cantab).

• Founder Member, Director and Principal: Lahore Grammar School System.
• Founder Member: Women’s Action Forum 1981
• Founder Member: SAHE (Society for the Advancement of Education)

Saltanat Bukhari (Educationist):

B.A Punjab.

Founder Member and Director, Lahore Grammar School System.

Naheed Aziz (Gender Consultant):

MA History, University of the Punjab

Diploma in “Planning with women for urban development strategies for low income house-holds”, University of London, UK.

Diploma in communication, Cornell University, Ithaca, USA.

Tauseef Hayat (Educationist)

WORK FORCE

Neelam Hussain: Executive Coordinator  

MA English (Pb). MA (Leeds). Post-Graduate Research (Sussex).

Founder Member Simorgh 1985

Member: Women’s Action Forum.

Founder member Joint Action Committee for Citizens Rights, Lahore 1989

Board of Directors: Dastak

Board of Directors: Society for the Advancement of Education (SAHE)

Council Member: South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP PK)

Member: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)

Council Member: Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO)

Over twenty-five years teaching experience as Lecturer/Asst. Prof.: Kinnaird College for Women Lahore and Lahore Grammar School

Kanwal Muzaffar:

July 2014 to date.

(MSc Social Sciences – Major in Gender Studies, Punjab)

Project Coordinator

Shazia Azam:

February 2007 to date.

Shazia Azam (MA Political Science Open University)

Assistant Project Coordinator

Zil-e- Huma :

February 2016 to date

(PhD (in process) Gender Studies Punjab)

Field and desk research

Moosa Eleazar:

Dec 2016 to date

(Bsc Hons, Major: Economics, Minor: Psychology, Forman Christian College Lahore)

Field and desk research

Waseem Ghouri:

April 1998 to date.

B.A Forman Christian College, Punjab.

Office Assistant.

Administrative and Finance Assistant.

Marketing Person.

Laeeque Ahmed:

May 2000 to date.

Matriculation (private institution).

(Dip. Graphic Design)

Printing supervision

Networking Administrator

Muhammad Afzal Minhas:

1988 to date.

B.Com

Accounts Officer

Muhammad Usman Ali:  

2005 to date.

B.A Punjab

Office Administrative

Seher Rashid Alvi:

February 2014 to date 

(Bachelor in Commerce, Sargodha University)

Accounts Assistant

Sunny Masih: 

Office Assistant

Enum Naseer :

2019 to date.

Social Sciences (International Politics SOAS University of London/Assistant Editor ‘The News on Sunday’)

Ajwa Zulfiqar:

2019 to date.

(student – BSc. Sociology, Forman Christian College, Lahore)

Researcher

Iqra Saleem Khan:

2020 to date.

Shafia Maqbool:

2020 to date.

Mphil (Education Policy and Development)

BS Hons Sociology (University of Punjab)

Researcher

Nazia Hassan:

August 2004 to date.

M.A University of the Punjab.

Project Coordinator

Arshia:

2020 to date.

Phil (LCWU)

Researcher