Hina Jilani facts for kids
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Hina Jilani (Urdu: حنا جیلانی; born 19 December 1953) is a brave lawyer and a champion for human rights from Lahore, Pakistan. She helped start Pakistan's very first law firm run entirely by women. She also created the first legal aid center and the Women's Action Forum, which works for women's rights.
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Early Life and Education
Hina Jilani grew up in Lahore, Pakistan. She became a lawyer in 1979. At that time, Pakistan was under a special military rule. Even with these challenges, she began her important work in law.
A Career Helping Others
In February 1980, Hina Jilani and her sister, Asma Jahangir, started Pakistan's first law firm just for women. It was called AGHS Legal Aid Cell (ALAC). At first, they mostly helped women with legal issues. But soon, they expanded their work to include teaching people about their rights, protecting them from unfair treatment, and offering advice.
Jilani also helped create the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. This group works to protect human rights across the country. She also co-founded the Women's Action Forum (WAF) in 1980. This group fights against laws that are unfair to women.
In 1986, Jilani started Pakistan's first legal aid center. This center provides free legal help to people who cannot afford it. She also helped set up a safe place for women called Dastak in 1991. Besides offering shelter, Dastak holds workshops to teach people about human rights and how to protect women.
Hina Jilani has also worked with big international groups. These include the United Nations Human Rights Council and the Carter Center. In 2019, the UK Foreign Office asked her to join a group of experts. Their job was to create rules to protect freedom of the press around the world.
Working with the United Nations
From 2000 to 2008, Hina Jilani had a special role at the United Nations. She was the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders. This meant she spoke up for people who work to protect human rights.
During this time, in 2006, she also joined a special group called the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur. This group looked into human rights issues in Darfur.
In 2009, Jilani was part of another important group. This was the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict.
Later, in 2017, Jilani helped lead a group focused on the health and human rights of women, children, and teenagers. This was a joint effort by the World Health Organization and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Facing Challenges for Her Work
Because of their work helping women, Hina Jilani and her sister Asma Jahangir faced many dangers. They were arrested, received threats, and were sometimes treated badly in public. There were even attempts to harm them and their family members.
In 1999, after working on a difficult case, Jilani and Jahangir again faced serious threats. On one occasion, an incident occurred at their office where someone was harmed, and Hina Jilani herself was targeted but managed to escape. Another time, people with weapons entered her home and threatened her family. Hina Jilani was not home then. These threats tried to make her leave Pakistan, but she bravely chose to stay and continue her important work in Lahore.
Awards and Recognition
Hina Jilani has received many awards for her dedication to human rights:
- 2000 – Ginetta Sagan Award from Amnesty International
- 2001 – Millennium Peace Prize for Women
- 2008 – Editor's Award for Outstanding Achievement by The Lawyer Awards
- 2016 – Honorary doctorate from Trinity College Dublin
Articles by Hina Jilani
- Neither Peace Nor Justice for Newsline, 2 March 2009
- Shame on Who? for Newsline, 7 October 2005
- Profile in TIME
See also
In Spanish: Hina Jilani para niños
- Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan
- Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
- Asma Jahangir
- Asma Jahangir Conference
