Nighat Dad

{{short description|Pakistani lawyer and Internet activist|bot=PearBOT 5}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Nighat Dad

| image = Nighat Dad.jpg

| caption = Nighat Dad in December 2016

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1981}}

| birth_place = Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan

| nationality = Pakistani

| occupation = Lawyer

| alma mater = University of the Punjab

| education = Bachelor of Laws Master of Laws

| years_active = 2012

| known_for =

| notable_works =

| children = 1

}}

Nighat Dad ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|نگہت داد}}}}; born {{circa|1981}}) is a Pakistani lawyer and Internet activist{{cite news|title=Study finds Pakistan's online space increasingly 'not free'|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/801874/study-finds-pakistans-online-space-increasingly-not-free/|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=The Express Tribune|date=4 December 2014}}{{cite news|title=PML-N's stock taking|url=http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2015/05/30/features/pml-ns-stock-taking/|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=Pakistan Today|date=30 May 2015}}{{cite news|title='No safeguards to protect people from govt snooping'|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1144575|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=Dawn|date=15 November 2014}}{{cite news|title=Pakistan Taliban suicide bombing in Lahore leaves several dead|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/17/pakistan-bomb-blast-police-headquarters-lahore|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=Guardian|date=17 February 2015}} who runs the not-for-profit organisation Digital Rights Foundation.{{cite news|title=Surveillance by UK, US sets bad precedent for privacy, freedom efforts in Pakistan: activist|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/693873/surveillance-by-uk-us-sets-bad-precedent-for-privacy-freedom-efforts-in-pakistan-activist/|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=Express Tribune|date=10 April 2014}}{{cite news|title=Know your rights: Internet users|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/763237/know-your-rights-internet-users/|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=The Express Tribune|date=17 September 2014}}{{cite news|title=Nighat Dad named TIME's next generation leader|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1184978|accessdate=19 April 2017|work=DAWN.COM|date=29 May 2015|language=en}} Her work in the field of IT security has earned her many international awards.{{cite news|last1=(www.dw.com)|first1=Deutsche Welle|title=Pakistani women: Between glory and misery {{!}} Wo+men {{!}} DW.COM {{!}} 19.04.2017|url=http://www.dw.com/en/pakistani-women-between-glory-and-misery/a-38492308|accessdate=19 April 2017|work=DW.COM|language=en}}

Early life and education

Dad was born in 1981 in Lahore.{{cite web|title=Vrouwen zijn online vogelvrij - OneWorld|url=https://www.oneworld.nl/mensenrechten/vrouwen-zijn-online-vogelvrij/|website=OneWorld|accessdate=23 January 2018|language=nl-NL|date=10 December 2016}} She hails from a village in Jhang, Punjab. She received her education from the University of the Punjab, Lahore{{cite news|title=ڈیجیٹل حقوق کی جنگ میں سرگرم پاکستانی، 'نگہت داد'|url=http://www.urduvoa.com/content/Pakistan-digital-rights-activist-nighat-dad/2807691.html|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=VOA Urdu|date=4 June 2015}} from where she has received a degree of the Master of Laws. Her marriage lasted only 18 months, and as a single mother, she had to wage a legal battle to win the custody of her child. During court proceedings she met many single mothers involved in legal battle to gain custody of their children, and she has been helping such women.{{Cite web|url=https://www.techinasia.com/single-mom-fighting-protect-pakistani-women-cyberbullying|title=Tech in Asia - Connecting Asia's startup ecosystem|website=www.techinasia.com}}

Work

Dad is a lawyer by profession{{cite news|title=Nighat Dad's award|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1294848|accessdate=19 April 2017|work=DAWN.COM|date=8 November 2016|language=en}} and practices criminal and family law.

In 2012, she set up the Digital Rights Foundation where she was executive director, educate Pakistani internet users, particularly women to protect themselves from online harassment. Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest-ever Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai has also attended workshops of Dad, before being shot by the Taliban in October 2012.{{cite news|title=Pakistani Nighat Dad featured in Time's list of Next Generation Leaders|url=http://arynews.tv/en/pakistani-nighat-dad-featured-in-times-list-of-next-generation-leaders|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=ARY News|date=2 June 2015}}

Dad led campaigns to protect online freedom of speech in Pakistan as well campaigns against legislation that gives the government broad powers of surveillance online, most notable one is the controversial Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill 2015. She also contributed in the draft of Acid Prevention Law 2010 and the Domestic Violence Bill of Pakistan.{{cite web|title=Nighat Dad|url=http://women.thenews.com.pk/202389_nighat-dad|website=The News International|accessdate=6 June 2015}}

File:ORGCon 17 Maria Farrell with Nighat Dad, and Azmina Dhrodia 09.jpg Conference in November 2017. Board members Nighat Dad and Maria Farrell with aspiring board member Azmina Dhrodia]]

In 2015, she was named in the TIME magazine's list of Next Generation Leaders, for helping Pakistani women fight online harassment.{{cite news|title=Pak activist among Time's Next Generation Leaders|url=http://nation.com.pk/national/31-May-2015/pak-activist-among-time-s-next-generation-leaders|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=The Nation|date=31 May 2015}}{{cite news|title=Pakistani digital rights activist Nighat Dad among Time's Next Generation Leaders|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/894519/pakistani-digital-rights-activist-nighat-dad-among-times-next-generation-leaders/|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=Express Tribune|date=30 May 2015}}{{cite news|title=Helping Pakistani Women Fight Online Harassment|url=http://time.com/3896046/ngl-nighat-dad/|accessdate=6 June 2015|publisher=TIME|date=28 May 2015}}

In 2016, she was awarded the Atlantic Council Digital Freedom Award{{cite news|title=Pakistani activist presented Atlantic Council award - The Express Tribune|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1116022/rare-honour-pakistani-activist-presented-atlantic-council-award/|accessdate=6 November 2016|work=The Express Tribune|date=4 June 2016}} and Dutch government's Human Rights Tulip award.{{cite news|title=Pakistani digital rights activist Nighat Dad awarded 2016 Human Rights Tulip award|url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1294671/pakistani-digital-rights-activist-nighat-dad-awarded-2016-human-rights-tulip-award|accessdate=6 November 2016|work=DAWN.COM|date=6 November 2016}} She is also one of the 25 leading figures on the Information and Democracy Commission launched by Reporters Without Borders.{{Cite web|url=https://rsf.org/en/nighat-dad|title=Nighat Dad | Reporters without borders|date=September 9, 2018|website=RSF}}

In November 2018 she joined The Tor Project's board of directors.{{cite web |url=https://blog.torproject.org/strength-numbers-growing-our-board-directors|publisher=The Tor Project|date=November 13, 2018|title=Strength in Numbers: Growing Our Board of Directors}}

On 6 May 2020, Facebook appointed her to its content oversight board.{{cite news|title=Facebook names first members of oversight board that can overrule Zuckerberg|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-facebook-oversight/facebook-names-first-members-of-oversight-board-that-can-overrule-zuckerberg-idUSKBN22I2LQ|date=7 May 2020|access-date=8 May 2020|work=Reuters}}

In 2023, Nighat Dad was made a member of the UNSG's new AI Advisory Board.{{cite news|title=Secretary-General Announces Creation of New Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board|url=https://press.un.org/en/2023/sga2236.doc.htm|date= 26 October 2023|access-date=22 May 2024|work=UN Press}}