Tabassum Adnan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tabassum Adnan
Born	1977 Swat Valley, Pakistan
Nationality	Pakistani
Occupation	women's rights activist
Years active	2013 - present
Known for	founding the first female jirga in Pakistan

Tabassum Adnan (Urdu: تبسم عدنان; born 1977) is a brave Pakistani activist. She works hard to protect the rights of women in the Swat Valley. In 2015, she received the U.S. State Department's International Women of Courage Award. This award recognized her amazing efforts to help women in Pakistan find justice.

Who is Tabassum Adnan?

Tabassum Adnan was born in 1977 in the Swat Valley of Pakistan. She married at a young age, when she was just 13 years old. After many years, she decided to get a divorce. This was a very difficult time for her.

She found herself without a home or a way to support herself. But then, she joined a special program. This program helped women learn to be strong and independent. It inspired Tabassum to work for change. She wanted women to have a say in important decisions.

Starting a New Kind of Jirga

In Pakistan, there are traditional community councils called jirgas. These councils are usually made up only of men. They help solve problems and make decisions in the community. Tabassum first tried to join a male jirga, but they said no.

So, in May 2013, Tabassum Adnan did something amazing. She started her own jirga, but this one was different. It was the first jirga in Pakistan run only by women! It was called the Khwendo Jirga, which means "Sister's Council."

Traditionally, women in this region had very little power. They were sometimes used to settle arguments between men. Tabassum knew her group needed to push authorities to act. Her 25-member all-female jirga works to make sure police and courts help victims. They also offer legal help to women who need it.

What the Sister's Council Does

The Khwendo Jirga does more than just help with justice. They also work for many important causes:

• They want all girls to get a free education.
• They work to protect the health of women and girls.
• They help women learn useful skills for jobs.
• They support small loans for women to start businesses.
• They want women to be part of peace talks and voting.
• They push for laws to protect women from violence. This includes stopping harmful practices like forced marriages or attacks.

At first, some people did not like the Khwendo Jirga. Both men's jirgas and even some other women's rights activists were against them.

Making a Difference

In 2014, something happened that changed how people saw Tabassum's group. The Khwendo Jirga organized a protest. They wanted to bring attention to a certain case. Because of their efforts, the people responsible were caught.

For the first time in history, a woman, Tabassum Adnan, was asked to join a male jirga. She helped them make a fair decision in the case. Since then, the women have had more successes.

In July 2014, Tabassum and the Khwendo Jirga worked to pass a law. This law would stop child marriages. Even though some religious groups were against it, the Sindh Assembly passed a law. It said no one under 18 could get married. In December 2014, the Punjab Assembly also agreed to work on changing the law.

Tabassum Adnan still gets threats sometimes. But she keeps working hard. She believes that women must be part of the decisions that affect their lives.

Awards and Recognition

Tabassum Adnan has received several important awards for her work:

• In 2013, she won the Human Defenders Award.
• In 2014, she was nominated for the N-Peace Empowerment Award.
• In 2015, she received the U.S. State Department International Women of Courage Award.
• In 2016, she won the Nelson Mandela Award.