Nausheen Rajan and Mehmil Zia: Founders of the US-Pakistan Women’s Council Chapter

Her Campus American: Tell us about yourselves.

Nausheen Rajan: I was born and raised in Florida but am a total Desi Girl from the inside. I am pursuing my studies in U.S. foreign policy and am interested in pursuing a career in the foreign service. I serve on SIS Undergraduate Council’s E-board, am part of Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority and am in the Honor’s Program. Outside of school, I have held internships at the Middle East Institute and the East-West Center. My hobbies include reading, writing shayari (poetry in Urdu), traveling, and listening to anything by Frank Sinatra.

Mehmil Zia: I was born and raised in Rawalpindi, Pakistan and moved to the United States in 2003. I am interested in pursuing a career in the Foreign Service and am passionate about women’s issues and development in Pakistan. I have been working at Dulles International Airport as an airport ambassador for the last three years which has taught me a lot about communication and interacting with the world. In the past, I founded a charity project to help with the relief efforts for the floods that occurred in Pakistan in 2010. My hobbies include reading Sufi poetry, researching, and listening to Qawalis.

HCAU: What is the US-Pakistan Women’s Council Student Chapter?

Zia and Rajan: According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report published in October 2013, Pakistan ranked second to the bottom of 136 countries worldwide. The low economic participation of women has a direct, negative impact of the nation’s competitiveness and economic growth. Therefore, we seek to work with Pakistani leaders in industry and academia to narrow the gender gap. The student chapter focuses on the relationship between U.S. and Pakistan, but is focused on gender development, the opportunity gap for women, education rights and women empowerment. We put on events for students in order to educate them about these issues. Furthermore, we encourage dialogue among the group and are even working to create a mentorship program for girls in Pakistan.

HCAU: What kind of events does the chapter hold?

Zia and Rajan: The group will be taking a trip to the Pakistani embassy after spring break to attend a talk on ‘Contemporary Pakistan’ arranged exclusively for our group. We have also developed a Chai Talk series, in which we bring in people who have made a positive impact in women’s issues in Pakistan. We are organizing a trip to the U.S. State Department to Skype girls from Pakistan to learn more about the trials and tribulations they face. Additionally we are initiating the HAQ Mentorship Program (note: HAQ in Urdu means “the right”), which pairs mentors from AU to Pakistani girls to help with resume and career building skills. Our biggest event will be the screening of Rehaii, a movie by the Kashf Foundation. Established in 1999, it is the first specialized microfinance program in Pakistan targeting women from low income communities. Afterwards there will be a discussion with the founder, Roshaneh Zafar. This event will be on April 1st, 2014 from 6-8 p.m. in the Wechsler Theater.

HCAU: How did you both become involved with this organization?

Zia and Rajan: We were both extremely interested in the U.S.-Pakistan Women’s Council when it was formed and emailed the council to see how we could get involved, and therefore formed the group. We are honored to be serving as representatives to this group, as we feel a deep connection to the country of Pakistan because of our cultural roots. We are excited to see where this club will be in the future, and how it will be making a difference for years to come.

HCAU: How could someone get involved if they were interested?

Zia and Rajan: Simple! You can like our Facebook page AND email us at uspwcau@gmail.com if you are interested. We also hold bi-weekly meetings in SIS on Tuesday nights, so come out! You don’t have to be of Pakistani descent, or have a concentration on development. You just have to be passionate. The more the merrier!

HCAU: Any final words you wish to share about your organization?

Zia and Rajan: Although we are small and new to AU, we are really excited to bring a different perspective onto campus. We are energetic, and want to accomplish a lot for the AU community and the Pakistani community— particularly for both women and young girls who don’t have the same opportunities as we do over here. As Malala Yousafzai once said, “I want poverty to end in tomorrow’s Pakistan. I want every girl in Pakistan to go to school.” 

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