Durdana Ansari
{{Short description|British entrepreneur and public speaker (born 1960)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{COI|date=May 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Durdana Ansari
| honorific_suffix = {{postnominals|country=GBR|size=100%|OBE}}
| image = Durdana Ansari OBE.jpg
| caption = Durdana Ansari
| birthname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=y|1960|3|1}}
| birth_place = Bahawalpur, Pakistan
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| education = Birkbeck, University of London
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| occupation =
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| spouse =
| children = 4
| relatives = Asim Azhar (nephew){{Cite web|url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/2310498/asim-azhars-aunt-durdana-ansari-becomes-british-royal-navys-first-muslim-female-captain|title = Asim Azhar is proud of aunt for becoming Royal Navy captain|date = 14 July 2021}}
| nationality = British Pakistani
| networth =
| credits = {{plainlist|
- BBC The World Today
- BBC Outlook
- BBC Meridian
- BBC English Teaching Programme
- BBC Urdu Service}}
| agent =
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}}
Durdana Ansari OBE (born 1 March 1960){{cite web |title=New Year honours list: OBEs |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/dec/31/new-year-honours-list-obe |website=The Guardian |date=31 December 2011 |access-date=31 December 2011}}{{cite web |last1=Din |first1=Naya |title=Meet the British Royal Navy's first Muslim {{as written|hono|urary [sic]}} commander |url=https://www.samaa.tv/news/2020/01/meet-the-british-royal-navys-first-muslim-honourary-commander/ |website=SAMAA |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200117161150/https://www.samaa.tv/news/2020/01/meet-the-british-royal-navys-first-muslim-honourary-commander/ |archive-date=17 January 2020}} is a British entrepreneur, public speaker and activist for female empowerment.{{cite web |title=Durdana Ansari Appointed As First Muslim Commander In British Royal Navy |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTl0yu168Dk |website=UK44 |access-date=19 April 2019}} She is a former charity director, journalist, presenter and producer at the BBC World Service.{{cite web |last1=Farooq |first1=Usman |title=The Pakistan Achievement Awards, UK and Europe, 2014 |url=https://www.ebuzztoday.com/the-pakistan-achievement-awards-uk-europe-2014/ |website=eBuzz Today |access-date=16 October 2014}}
Early life
Durdana Ansari was born in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, then grew up in Islamabad. She moved to London where she received her degree in media and journalism from Birkbeck University.
Career
Ansari spent 22 years producing, directing, and interviewing for the BBC World Service. She received an Order of the British Empire in 2012 for creating an economic development program for Muslim women.{{cite web |last1=London |first1=My |title=Journalist made an OBE for services to Muslim women |url=https://www.mylondon.news/news/local-news/journalist-made-obe-services-muslim-5981606 |website=My London News |date=31 December 2011 |access-date=30 September 2013}}{{cite web |last1=Masood |first1=Tooba |date=10 April 2012 |title=Pakistani journalist: Durdana Ansari, OBE, takes time out for Karachi over a cup of tea |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/362789/pakistani-journalist-durdana-ansari-obe-takes-time-out-for-karachi-over-a-cup-of-tea/ |accessdate=11 April 2012 |website=The Express Tribune}}
Her BBC programmes included The World Today (radio programme), Asian Network (Urdu), Outlook, Meridian, English Teaching Programme, and BBC Urdu Service.{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}}
Ansari was appointed as an Honorary Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Navy in 2018, she was promoted in 2019 to Honorary Commander;{{cite web |title=Navy News September 2018 |url=https://issuu.com/navynews/docs/201809 |website=Newspaper of the Royal Navy |accessdate=30 September 2018}} and once more in 2021 to Honorary Captain, becoming the first Muslim to reach the rank.{{cite news|url=https://www.bolnews.com/pakistan/2021/07/durdana-ansari-becomes-first-muslim-captain-of-the-british-royal-navy/|title=Durdana Ansari becomes first Muslim captain of the British Royal Navy|publisher=BOL News|date=14 July 2021|accessdate=16 December 2021}}
Ansari established The Pearl Foundation to teach functional spoken English, reading, writing and computer skills to British-Muslim women.{{cite web |last1=Usman |first1=Maryam |title=Charity starts Pakistan operations |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/992926/charity-starts-pakistan-operations/ |website=The Express Tribune |date=17 November 2015 |accessdate=17 November 2015}}
She also serves as a brand ambassador to Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST), the Swat Relief Initiative (SRI), and as a trustee for ‘Quest for Education’ (QFE).{{cite web |title=Quest for Education Board of Trustees |url=https://www.qfe.org/who-we-are/quest-for-education-board-of-trustees/ |website=Quest for Education |access-date=26 April 2020}}{{cite web |title=Board Members |url=http://swatreliefinitiative.org/Volunteers.html |website=SWAT Relief Initiative |access-date=26 April 2020}}
Ansari has also participated in the Imran Khan Cancer Hospital, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Islamic Relief, and Helping Hands.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}{{Cite web |last=London |first=My |date=2011-12-31 |title=Journalist made an OBE for services to Muslim women |url=http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/local-news/journalist-made-obe-services-muslim-5981606 |access-date=2021-10-14 |website=MyLondon |language=en}}
Personal life
Durdana has four children, 2 boys and 2 girls. Her first child, Amina Art Ansari, is an artist with paintings of the British royal family hanging in Windsor Castle.{{cite news |last1=Yawari |first1=Musa |title=I take out anger and sadness through art |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-asia-49981471/i-take-out-anger-and-sadness-through-art |accessdate=13 October 2019}}{{cite web |title=British Pakistani Artist Amna Ansari maker her mark in international arena |url=https://timesofislamabad.com/08-Dec-2019/british-pakistani-artist-amna-ansari-maker-her-mark-in-international-arena |website=Times of Islamabad |date=8 December 2019 |accessdate=12 December 2019}}
Awards and honours
- 2012 Order of the British Empire (OBE){{cite web |last1=Mirza |first1=Qaiser |title=Durdana Ansari, recipient of OBE (Most Excellence Order of British Empire) |url=https://www.siasat.pk/forums/threads/durdana-ansari-recipient-of-obe-most-excellence-order-of-british-empire.105277/ |website=Siasat Pakistan |date=12 April 2012 |accessdate=12 April 2012}}
- 2018 Honorary Commander Royal Navy
- 2021 Honorary Captain Royal Navy{{cite news|url=https://www.bolnews.com/pakistan/2021/07/durdana-ansari-becomes-first-muslim-captain-of-the-british-royal-navy/|title=Durdana Ansari becomes first Muslim captain of the British Royal Navy|publisher=BOL News|date=14 July 2021|accessdate=16 December 2021}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansari, Durdana}}
Category:English radio personalities
Category:British women radio presenters
Category:Pakistani radio presenters
Category:Pakistani women radio presenters
Category:Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Category:Pakistani emigrants to England