Indian women are “bold” and “courageous” and have created better opportunities for themselves in politics as well as financial field, inspiring their counterparts across the border.
“Women in my country seek inspiration from them” said Pakistani award winning rights advocate Shad Begum.
Indian women created better opportunities for themselves and came good in economic activities, Ms. Shad said after receiving the 2012 International Woman of Courage award from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presence of the First Lady Michelle Obama.
The accolades for the Indian women also came from eminent Myanmarese political activist Zin Mar Aung with both of them stressing that more women should be on the forefront of politics in South Asia.
Ms. Shad, who runs a non-governmental organisation in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa province of Pakistan, said she dedicated her award to the women of South Asia.
Maryam Durani from Afghanistan and Aneesa Ahmed from Maldives are the other two South Asian women to have received the award from Ms. Clinton along 10 women selected all over the world.
Women in India, she said, have better opportunities than in Pakistan, while in her country, Ms. Shad said: “Women are still struggling for that. We even had a woman Prime Minister, but this does not mean that we have all the basic rights including the right to say, right to choose and right to associate.
Indian women inspire me because there is already made these possible.”
