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 – 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:
Violence against Women
Women’s Rights as Human Rights
Mediatic Representation of Women
Education and other Knowledge Systems
Religious Fundamentalisms and Women’s Oppression
Ideology and the Family
Women’s Histories and Women in History
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.
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)
L & W Printers (Supervision, Printing)
Shahid Pervaiz (Supervision, Printing)
Tabassum Salim (Supervision, Printing)
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.
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.
Samina Bano Rahman (educationist):
MA English (Pb). MA (Cantab).
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)
AGHS
Ajoka Theatre
All Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA)
Applied Socio-economic Research (ASR)
Aurat Foundation
Children’s Rights Society (CRS)
Church World Services (CSW)
Dar-ul-Aman
Dastak
Democratic Commission of Human Davelopment
Entrepreneurship and Career Institute (ECI)
Family Planning Association of Pakistan (FPAP)
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)
Insan Foundation
Joint Action Committee (JAC)
Justice and Peace Commission
Kashaff
Pakistan Women’s Organisation (PWO)
Rozan
Sahil
Shirkat Gah Women’s Resource Centre
Society for the Advancement of Education (SAHE)
South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAP Pk)
Strengthening Participatory Organization (SPO)
Sustainable Development Project, Islamabad (SDPI)
Sudhar
Sungi Development Foundation
War Against Rape (WAR)
Women Action Forum (WAF)
Women Living Under Muslim Laws
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
CHANGE, UK
DAWN International
Equality Now
Institute of Development Studies, Sussex
Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights
Women’s International Resource Centre (ISIS)
World Council of Churches
DFID (Ilm Ideas)
Ain-o-Salish Kendra, Bangladesh
Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD)
The Asia-Pacific Women’s Action Network (APWAN)
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Asian Regional Exchange for New Alternatives (ARENA)
Asian Women’s Human Rights Council (AWHRC)
Centre for Women’s Development (CWD)
Committee for Asian Women (CAW)
The Gender Watch Professional Interest Group (GWPIG), Nepal
Institute for Social Studies Trust (ISST)
Kali for Women
Kalyanamitra, Indonesia
Nari Pokhho, Bangladesh
Sakshi, India
Sewa
Social Scientists’ Association
Unnayan Bikalper Nitinirdharoni Gobeshona (Policy Research for Development Alternatives) (UBINIG)
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