Tabassum Adnan
{{Short description|Pakistani women's rights activist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tabassum Adnan
| image = Tabassum Adnan (Pakistan) -- 2015 - International Women of Courage Award.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 1977
| birth_place = Swat Valley, Pakistan
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Pakistani
| other_names =
| occupation = women's rights activist
| years_active = 2013 - present
| known_for = founding the first female jirga in Pakistan
| notable_works =
}}
Tabassum Adnan (Urdu: تبسم عدنان; born 1977) is a Pakistani women's rights activist from the Swat Valley. She won the U.S. State Department's 2015 International Women of Courage Award for her efforts in seeking justice for Pakistani women.she is the best human rights defender awardee in 2014 recently in 2015 she honoured with nelson mandela award for her great work in her area swat {{cite news|title=Biographies of 2015 Award Winners|url=https://www.state.gov/s/gwi/programs/iwoc/2015/bio/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150307040454/http://www.state.gov/s/gwi/programs/iwoc/2015/bio/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2015-03-07|access-date=10 March 2015|publisher=U.S. State Department|date=March 2015}}
Biography
Tabassum Adnan was born in 1977 and grew up in the Swat Valley of Pakistan.{{cite news|last1=Majeed|first1=A|title=Pakistan's Women-Only Jirga Fights for Equal Rights|url=http://newsweekpakistan.com/pakistans-women-only-jirga-fights-for-equal-rights/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Newsweek Pakistan|date=11 July 2013}} She was a child bride at 13, mother of four and a victim of domestic violence, when she divorced her husband of 20 years. Finding herself homeless and without means of support, Adnan attended a women's empowerment program run by a local aid group. It inspired her to work to change women's ability to participate in decision-making processes. Initially she approached the male-only, main Swat Aman Jirga, but was rejected. Jirgas are traditional informal judicial councils which enforce qisas, retribution laws,{{cite news|title=Girl wants husband punished for chopping off her nose|url=http://www.saach.tv/2014/07/03/girl-wants-husband-punished-for-chopping-off-her-nose/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Saach TV|date=July 3, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408094225/http://www.saach.tv/2014/07/03/girl-wants-husband-punished-for-chopping-off-her-nose/|archive-date=8 April 2015}} and though not intended to replace formal judicial systems or police procedures, decisions of the elders are socially respected and do often impact the judiciary.
In May 2013, Adnan started her own jirga,{{cite news|last1=Siddiqui|first1=Taha|title=World Asia: South & Central In former Taliban fiefdom, Pakistan's first female council tackles abuses|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-South-Central/2014/0304/In-former-Taliban-fiefdom-Pakistan-s-first-female-council-tackles-abuses|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=The Christian Science Monitor|date=March 4, 2014}} the first run by women in the country. Traditionally, women in the region have been used as chattel to settle disputes of men, traded in marriage to absolve debts, claims of honor, and retribution for crimes. Because women have little power, Adnan recognized that her group would need to pressure authorities to act. Her 25-member all-female jirga pressures police and the traditional court system to act while providing legal assistance to the victims.{{cite news|last1=Ali|first1=Syed Mohammad|title=Significance of the female jirga|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/588473/significance-of-the-female-jirga/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=The Express Tribune|date=August 8, 2013}} The Khwendo Jirga, or Sister’s Council, in addition to providing justice support for women advocate for free education for girls; protection of women and girl's health; training in both traditional domestic and non-traditional vocational skills; microfinancing, access for women to peace negotiations, justice, and voting; and laws which protect women from violence,{{cite news|last1=Siraj|first1=Haroon|title=Female jirga head flays 'flawed' legal system|url=http://www.pakistangendernews.org/female-jirga-head-flays-flawed-legal-system/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Pakistan Gender News|date=July 24, 2013}} specifically, honor killings, dowry harassments,{{cite news|title=పాక్ మహిళకు అమెరికా అవార్డు.. సాహస స్త్రీగా ఎంపిక..!|url=http://telugu.webdunia.com/article/international-news/pakistan-activist-honored-with-international-women-of-courage-award-115030600012_1.html|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=తెలుగు వార్తలు|date=6 March 2015}} acid attacks, and torture. Initially the Khwendo Jirga was opposed both by men's jirgas and prominent women's rights activists.{{cite news|last1=Guerin|first1=Orla|title=Pakistani women use jirga to fight for rights|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23453243|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=BBC News|date=25 July 2013}}
In 2014 an event happened, which changed the public perception of Adnan's group. A child was raped and the authorities failed to act. Khwendo Jirga organized a protest walk bringing visibility to the case. The suspects were apprehended and for the first time in Pashtun history, a woman, Adnan, was asked to sit on the male jirga and assist with dispensing justice in the case.{{cite web|title=Tabassum Adnan A monumental moment for Pashtun women|url=http://n-peace.net/candidate/candidate-341|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150315170733/http://n-peace.net/candidate/candidate-341|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 15, 2015|publisher=N-Peace Network|access-date=15 March 2015}} Since the first protest, the women have repeated the success{{cite news|last1=Ul Islam|first1=Nazar|title=Nobody Cares|url=http://newsweekpakistan.com/nobody-cares/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Newsweek Pakistan|date=24 October 2014}} and in July, 2014, Adnan and Khwendo Jirga were lobbying for the passage of a law prohibiting child marriages.{{cite news|last1=Inayat|first1=Naila|title=Cultures clash over forced child marriages in Pakistan|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/06/07/pakistan-child-marriage/10003047/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=USA Today|date=June 7, 2014}} Despite strong protest from religious factors,{{cite news|last1=Inayat|first1=Naila|title=Muslim clerics resist Pakistan's efforts to end child marriage|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/muslim-clerics-resist-pakistans-efforts-to-end-child-marriage/2014/05/16/c48f9c04-dd25-11e3-a837-8835df6c12c4_story.html|access-date=15 March 2015|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 16, 2014}} the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a ban on marriages for anyone under the age of eighteen{{cite news|last1=Asif|first1=Sundas|title=Child Marriages Restraint Bill passed unanimously|url=http://tastepakistan.pk/child-marriages-restraint-bill-passed-unanimously/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Taste Pakistan|date=June 5, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150315183618/http://tastepakistan.pk/child-marriages-restraint-bill-passed-unanimously/|archive-date=15 March 2015}} and in December, 2014 the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to work on amending the present law.{{cite news|last1=Shaukat|first1=Aroosa|title=PA session: Lawmakers pass resolution against child marriages|url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/811330/pa-session-lawmakers-pass-resolution-against-child-marriages/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=The Express Tribune|date=December 24, 2014}}
Since their first success with the men's jirga, Adnan has been invited to participate on other cases dealing with "women's issues." Though she still receives threats Adnan continues, as she believes that women should be part of the decision-making processes that effect their lives.{{cite news|last1=بلوچ|first1=سحر|title=سوات کی خواتین کے لیے منفرد جرگہ|url=http://www.dawnnews.tv/news/1017344|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Dawn News Urdu|date=February 22, 2015}}{{cite news|title=Swat activist honored with International Women of Courage Award|url=http://defence.pk/threads/swat-activist-honored-with-international-women-of-courage-award.362866/|access-date=15 March 2015|publisher=Pakistan Defence|date=6 March 2015}}
Awards
In 2013, Adnan was awarded the Human Defenders Award,{{cite web|title=Tabassum Adnan Khwendo jirga|url=http://khwedojirga.blogspot.mx/|access-date=15 March 2015}} in 2014 she was a nominee for the N-Peace Empowerment Award, and in 2015, she won a U.S. State Department International Women of Courage Award. She has won the Nelson Mandela Award 2016.