AMNAH JAVVAD

The Change I Want to Bring to the World

Growing up in a traditionally patriarchal society, the gender disparity in Pakistan's healthcare, politics, and the judiciary at large has always been a source of profound concern for me. The disproportionate representation of women in fundamental occupations is evident in the form of discriminatory, and often harmful social and legal policies that negatively impact them. 

I am determined to see my country, and the world at large, give all young girls & women equal opportunities to make this world a more fair, sustainable, and prosperous place for the current and future generations of all genders to come.

How I’ve Been Involved in Changemaking So Far

I have been a part of various projects aimed at increasing women's empowerment & access to education for underprivileged children. In my secondary school, I started volunteering at a local school & care home, where I taught many young girls who hailed from extraordinary circumstances. Apart from being a regular volunteer, I have also been involved in organising many extracurricular activities and mental health workshops aimed at encouraging positive thinking, emotional resilience, and confidence-building. I have also helped the school fundraise every summer & am currently raising funds towards making a multi-purpose building where more than 200 girls will live and learn. 

Apart from this, I am also currently writing a research paper aimed at evaluating the legitimacy of the veil ban upheld by the European Court of Human Rights.

What Drew Me to This Fellowship

As a current law student, I usually find myself encapsulated in multitudinous commercial law schemes- the ideal summer internships for most budding lawyers. As I do not envision myself in a corporate firm setting in the future, I’m always on the lookout for meaningful opportunities to help me grow & make a positive impact on the plight of vulnerable children and women in my community. 

Consequently, I positively gravitated towards the Mentora Fellowship as it offers a breadth of learning experience and promises to empower students to grow in their personal and professional lives. The emphasis on “inner mastery” personally resonates with me as I strongly believe that leadership and self-awareness go hand in hand, and one must constantly challenge themselves to grow & become a better version of themselves.