Aware Girls facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Formation	2002
Founders	Gulalai Ismail, Saba Ismail
Founded at	Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
Legal status	Non-governmental organization
Purpose	Women's rights advocacy, education
Headquarters	Peshawar
Chairperson	Gulalai Ismail

Aware Girls is a group in Peshawar, Pakistan, that works to help women and girls. It is a non-governmental organization, which means it is not part of the government. The group was started in 2002 to fight against unfair treatment and harm towards young women in Pakistan.

The main goals of Aware Girls are to stand up for women's rights and make sure girls can get an education and learn about staying healthy. Their mission is "to strengthen the leadership capacity of young women enabling them to act as agents of social change and women empowerment in their communities." This means they want to help young women become strong leaders who can make positive changes where they live.

Gulalai Ismail, a human rights activist, was the leader of Aware Girls. An activist is someone who works hard to bring about political or social change. In 2018, the Pakistani government shut down Aware Girls after Gulalai became involved with the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), a group that works for the human rights of the Pashtun people.

How Aware Girls Began

Aware Girls was started in the city of Peshawar in 2002 by two sisters, Gulalai Ismail and Saba Ismail. At the time, they were only 16 and 15 years old.

They started their work in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. They spoke out against harmful actions that targeted girls and women. They also taught girls about their basic human rights. This helped girls learn how to talk with their families to solve problems. The goal was to empower them to become leaders and teach others in their own towns and villages.

Saba Ismail said they started the group because they saw that girls were not treated as fairly as boys. She remembered a cousin who wanted to be a pilot. But at age 12, her cousin had to get married and stop going to school. This event inspired the sisters to take action and help other girls.

Important Campaigns

Aware Girls did more than just help young women in their homes. The group also worked to teach young people how to stand up to extremism with peaceful actions. They wanted to stop young people from being influenced by radical groups. They also encouraged more women to get involved in politics.

To do this, they created the Youth Peace Network. This network held workshops and meetings to teach young people in rural areas. They used peer-to-peer education, where young people teach and support each other.

Malala Yousafzai, a famous activist for girls' education, attended an Aware Girls training session in 2011. In 2016, the Malala Fund helped create the Gulmakai Network to support groups like Aware Girls. This network helps local groups that are working to improve education for girls.

Aware Girls also ran programs to teach women in Pakistan about health. They wanted to help women learn how to stay healthy and reduce the stigma around certain health issues. This program was supported by the MTV Staying Alive foundation.

The group also ran a helpline called Marastyal. This helpline connected women who had experienced harm with people who could offer emotional support, legal advice, and emergency medical help.

Awards and Recognition

Aware Girls has been recognized around the world for its important work.

• In 2014, the group received the Global Rising Star award from the Star Foundation.
• In 2016, Aware Girls won the Fondation Chirac Peace Prize. The award was for helping to prevent conflict in Pakistan. The president of France at the time, Francois Hollande, presented the award.

As the leader of Aware Girls, Gulalai Ismail also won many awards. These include:

• The International Humanist of the Year Award.
• The Commonwealth Youth Award in 2015.
• The 2013 Democracy Award from the National Endowment for Democracy.
• The Anna Politkovskaya Award, which she shared with journalist Gauri Lankesh.

In 2013, Gulalai and Saba Ismail were named two of the 100 Leading Global Thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine for their work empowering girls in Pakistan.

Supporters and Partners

Aware Girls received funding and support from many different organizations. Some of their partners included:

• MTV Staying Alive: Helped with health education.
• The Global Fund for Children: A group that gives money to organizations helping children.
• Peace Direct: A British charity that works with local groups to promote peace.

Aware Girls was also a member of many national and international groups, such as:

• All Pakistan Women's Association
• Humanists International
• Young Humanists International
• Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights

See also

• Aurat Foundation
• Blue Veins (Pakistan)
• Fareeda Kokikhel Afridi
• Women Media Center