The People Behind
Founder & CEO
I strongly believe that technology has the power and scale to do what society, families, schools and systems have failed to do for far too long - provide safe and equitable reproductive health education & product access.
Aurat Raaj is an entrepreneurial experiment that came about from my disillusioned time spent in various Corporate Social Responsibility Departments, my struggles working as a female journalist in large media houses and my inability to “box” my own role as a woman in Pakistan.
I am so fortunate that my experiment in social innovation has gotten high-fives & pats on the back from global organisations like MIT Solve, BMW Foundation, Vodafone, Roddenberry Foundation, The US Embassy & so many more.
My ideal world is one where social innovation reigns supreme. Everyone, especially rural women & adolescent girls are digitally included, digitally empowered & digitally literate.
Naila Khakrani
I am one of the two luckiest girls in my village of Bakhshal Khakhrani because we own smartphones. I’m even luckier because despite a very late start to my education, I managed to finish my matriculation and now getting my intermediate degree.
My village has always been famous for its jujube fruit orchards but I’ve always been more of a cake person. In my household, everyone knows I love to sing & if I were a bird, I’d have been a cuckoo.
Over the years, things have progressed in my village, but girls are still not permitted to leave the house for school or work. When I started doing my work around menstrual health awareness, I took permission from each and every member of my family.
Before starting this project, I only utilised Whatsapp. But learning other platforms and using them for work has ben addictive. When I was interviewed for a mental health project by a German organization through Zoom and they said “Hi Naila” , it gave me a sense of accomplishment and pride that my voice was being heard by people thousands of miles away.
If I had a million rupees today, I would buy lots and lots of beautiful outfits. Of course after I have helped others with their food, shelter and other needs.
Pasham Lashari
“If I were a bird, I would be an eagle soaring the sky.”
I live in a village called Maid Shaheed, which is based in Kamber. Since I was a kind, I have always dreamed about helping others and becoming a doctor. Then, seeing a female leader Benazir Bhutto from my own region motivated to change my mind and pursue political science. Gradually, my efforts and enthusiasm led me to the field of education, and I began my professional career as a teacher and recently completed my Bachelors in Education.
In my community, we love singing and getting together for large family gatherings. This is why conducting listening parties was easy for me. I had seen the power of a community coming together. With 200+ families living in my village, I’m excited to cover them all as a digital champion. Earlier, it was uncommon for women and girls to discuss menstruation in gatherings. But now I see the potential of audio education for Maid Shaheed's girls schools too. To make my listening parties more engaging and attractive, I'm now preparing to decorate and personalize the room where I will invite women.
I really enjoy using social media especially Whatsapp & YouTube. Every day, I spend around 2-3 hours on my phone. In my spare time, I like to do embroidery and designing.
Almost every woman in my village, especially those whose husbands work abroad, have a phone. Girls in our community own phones for work but not for entertainment.
I enjoy taking on new challenges, which is why I enjoyed being a digital champion. I had some health issues as well, and I was the first person to benefit from Raaji's audio lessons.
If I had a million rupees, the first thing I'll do is start a charity.
Saeeda Khatoon
I live in a village called Zakariya Mahessar and I am an active community bookkeeper. Growing up, I used to love playing hide and seek with my friends, eating ice-creams and spending time with my sister.
I had great aspirations to join the army but my family would not let me choose that as a career.
Not every girl and woman owns a phone in my village because of family constraints, but some educated women and girls do. I carry my phone everywhere with me, so whenever I have free time, I use it. I especially love playing games on it.
Throughout my digital champion journey, we learned a lot of new topics and now I love having a network and community of other champions I can reach out to. I can now use Zoom link to join meetings.
It was strange at first to talk about menstrual hygiene, but now we have regular sessions around MHM and I feel proud to have reached 120 women and girls. I also want to go to schools and collaborate with doctors to arrange listening parties there.
Women used to feel shy discussing menstruation, but as time went on, we all adapted, and now they come to listen.
Nadia
An avid lover of mobile phones and all things digitalisation, I come from a village full of advancing minds and innovation called Naghban in Sindh’s Kamber District!
I love animals, and if I could be any one, it would probably be a parrot; they’re very cool the way they can imitate us and also sing :> I also always wanted to work in the medical field for women’s health growing up, but financial constraints and familial circumstances served as a tough barrier to living out that dream.
I have cleared my matriculation and received my intermediate degree, and even though I came from a household that allowed me to use a phone in a village where a lot of women were equipped with mobile phones as well, a lot of us weren’t actually aware on the various resources and platforms that were available to us on that tiny little mine of information. And then Aurat Raaj came into my life, teaching me how to use several digital tools and making me fall in love with digitalization! I was swelled with pride when I got to use my digital transformation to relay important reproductive health knowledge through the listening parties I conducted in my community, and even more so when I could see real change in the way women around me approached these topics, their change in mindsets.
And now? If you asked me to choose my favourite social media/connecting platform, I don’t think I’d be able to pick. Zoom helps me connect with the Aurat Raaj Team and learn all about reproductive health and digital tools, Whatsapp & Facebook help me easily stay in touch with family and friends, and Youtube keeps me updated on worldly affairs and new innovations around the globe. So you see, I love them all. Why? Because each of them facilitate my everyday life in one way or another, and that is exactly why digital inclusion and access is the need of the hour, especially as we make our way out of the pandemic.
Sobia Jarwar
With an analytical mind and love for all things computer science and programming, I initially did not have an outlet or source of education where I could learn and employ these skills. The village I grew up in, known as Gul Muhammad Jarwar (UC Jamali), was only equipped with one primary school, and that even was lacking a lot of the basic facilities a child would need for efficient learning. So, I set out of my village to clear my matriculation and receive my intermediate degree, after which I would travel 40 minutes back and forth everyday by bus to SZABIST University in Larkana for my Diploma in Information & Communication Technologies (DICT). I will soon be applying to the University of Sindh for a Bachelors in Computer Science!
Proficient in Java, C++ & HTML, I use my coding knowledge and experience to educate the young girls in my village and those I meet through my advocacy work with the Sindh Rural Support Organization (SRSO). I’ve helped countless women and girls become proficient in technical skills that are, now more than ever, necessary for one to pave their way in our technology-driven world, while also tutoring children. One of my success stories revolves around a lovely young girl named Iqra I met a few years ago. Iqra came from a strict household where education for girls was not considered a necessity by any of the adults, which did not sit right with me. After several attempts at persuading her parents, I had Iqra live with me in my own home for 2 years where I taught her English and important reading and writing skills. She is now just a 12th grader serving as a Community Book Keeper (CBK) for the Sindh Rural Support Organization, doing some inspiring advocacy work of her own!
I like to spend my free time on Facebook, where I keep up with my friends and family while also following a few informative pages and groups relating to tech, Computer Science, and my favorite, bio-tech. Growing up, I always wanted to be a gynecologist, and while I was unable to live out that exact dream, I still do try my best to come close to it. I do this with my listening parties on reproductive health topics in quite a few villages across Sindh’s Kamber district, as well my position as the supervisor for family planning for another local organization. My favorite listening party topics have definitely been Menstrual Health and Leadership, mainly because I can defeat misconceptions and live up to my true potential using the informative content, which only helps me be even more supportive of the women and girls around me.
My approachable and supportive nature helps me form enriching connections with the people around me, which is something I really admire about myself. I’m extremely grateful to Aurat Raaj and all the other organizations I’ve worked with that have helped me tap into this side of me!
Rural innovations specialist
Born and raised in Sukkur, a business graduate of IBA, & with the spirit of entrepreneurialism running through my blood, I always knew I would want to start something of my own one day.
After working for a renowned non-profit, I moved full time into working with & for remote, rural, resilient women and girls in Pakistan building their innovative mindset & honing their entrepreneurial skillsets.
I’m fortunate to have worked offline and digitally with hundreds of communities & villages of Sindh pioneering topics like reproductive health, mental health, digital inclusion & menstrual hygiene.
I’m most proud of working on projects with German organisations like IFA, Audiopedia, Correlaid & Pretty Deadly.
OUR DIGITAL CHAMPIONS
Noor Jehan Kalhoro
If it wasn’t for my mother who fought for my right to education, I wouldn’t be able to say today that I have a Bachelors degree in Science. I come from a village in Larkana called Pir Jo Goth. Most of my early life was spent fighting financial constraints and village customs. I left my house with my parents' permission & Iived with my uncle's family so that I could pursue schooling. He is a school headmaster & still a wonderful role model for me.
My name means "lighting the world" and I believe that with by educating myself, I may fly like a bird and do great things for the planet. I plan to follow my uncle’s path and become a teacher as well. Maybe this deep desire to learn makes me explore Youtube educational videos for hours.
Before starting my work on menstrual education, there were many different unhygienic practices. But now I could see a positive change in myself and in people's mindset and behavior after doing listening parties .
I first started by educating my village, and then expanded to communities around Larkana.
Even the village's male community appreciates the meetings. Mostly, parents in rural areas do not allow their children to have prior menstrual awareness. I believe that such education to young girls is also valuable. I plan to this knowledge to enhance menstrual hygiene in rural schools in the future.
If I had one million rupees today, I will invest in a profitable business model to ensure a steady income and a secure livelihood.
Shaheen Farhan
My name means ‘falcon’ and I reside in Pir Jo Goth village of Larkana. If I were to define myself in one word, it would be ‘simplicity’.
I dreamt of becoming a doctor when I was a childh but I had to leave my education after high school. We had a primary and middle school but high school was too far away from the village.
I used to ride on a bicycle with my father or brother, but after a while, I had to discontinue. Fortunately, my husband now supports me, and I've resumed my studies. After completing my matriculation many years ago, I recently got admission in college after more than 10 years of a gap.
One side of my village has progressed in terms of education, while the other hasn’t. Some women now have permission to own and use smartphones.
I used to be hesitant about using technology. But when I used Zoom through the training, I became more confident that I can use a phone. I use my phone for 4 to 5 hours a day and always check Whatsapp first.
There were a number of reproductive health issues that we never discussed in groups. When I started doing ‘listening parties’, women appreciated the content and followed the instructions learnt during the listening parties, especially around the menstrual cycle, health, and exercise. We used to get mood swings or cramps, but now we know why it happens to us, and we also follow simple practices like drinking more water and maintaining good hygiene, which has greatly benefited us.
In our village’s middle school, girls from nearby villages also come to get education and we can collaborate with the school management to have a session around MHM, this way we can also guide other village girls.
If I get a million rupees, I will help those who are in need first.
Naveeda
With an inquisitive mind and a name signifying happiness, I am an agent for change and menstrual health advocacy. My name is Naveeda, and I come from a small village in Larkana, known as Pir Bux Kalhoro.
For my college degree, I decided to pursue Commerce, and am one of the few girls in my village who are college graduates. Education and the desire to learn have always been an inextinguishable fire at my very core, which is why I spend hours and hours every day on YouTube watching educational and informative videos that teach me new things about our digitally advancing world. I especially love working with Aurat Raaj because I not only get to learn the ins and outs of technology, but to also use that knowledge to teach the women and girls in my community about reproductive health. The chatbot content on Menstrual Health is extremely dear to me, so much so that even though we were instructed to conduct just one listening party on it, I conducted it 3 more times but with different participants each time just so I could reach as many women and girls as possible.
Alongside my desire to learn, I also love educating other people! If I had a million dollars suddenly fall into my lap, I’d build a state-of-the-art school for women and girls that would effectively bridge all their education gaps. I originally wanted to be a bank manager growing up because I saw the men in my family work as one growing up, and I’d also help out sometimes because I understood their job requirements really well. But I think now running a school is another dream I can hopefully fulfill!
If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be ‘sincere’ :)
Aaliya
Hailing from Village Qubool Teewno in Sindh’s Kamber District, I’ve cleared my matriculation and received my intermediate degree, and am a reproductive rights and digital champion! I believe strongly in the power of using digitalization for good, making sure my listening parties reach as many women & girls as possible with the right message. This is especially necessary given how barely any of the girls in my village are allowed to own mobile phones for their personal use, which is a reality fueled by fear and a lack of understanding for how our world currently works.
The listening party on Menstrual Health Knowledge has been my favorite to conduct out of all the topics so far, simply because there was a lot of new stuff all of us got to learn and discuss. The honesty and sisterhood shared in the conversations we all had together after that listening party has been one of the highlights of my work with Aurat Raaj as a digital champion. To think that I started and led such moving discourse fills me with immense pride! The most inspiring part about all this is that when I first began conducting these parties, there would be pretty low turnouts, where there were times when only 3 women would show up. But as word spread, more and more women and girls started joining, and it became a shared way for our community to feel like we, the women, had a place to be ourselves and learn about who we are, without any judgment or pressure.
To list a few random but fun facts about me, I’m very funny and cheerful around my friends and family, I always wanted to be a doctor who helped the underprivileged growing up, and if I suddenly had a million dollars right now, I’d give them all to my parents because seeing them happy makes me really happy too.
Partnerships Manager
As a Bachelors student pursuing Biomedical Science at the Ryerson University in Canada, I’ve been passionately exploring how different geographies, genders, races, ethnicities are currently experiencing health inequities.
Menstrual Health is particularly close to my heart. While my Pakistani parents provided me with all the knowledge I needed to embrace this topic in a healthy manner, many girls around me grew up with no proper sex education resources, products or guidance. That’s why I wanted to play a key role in testing Raaji chatbot in key locations & developing sustainable menstrual pads project.
I’m proud to have incubated Aurat Raaj at the Social Ventures Zone, winning the SVZ prize and becoming the People’s Choice Award Winner for the Penny Appeal Social Accelerator Fund.
My experiences working with SunnyBrook Hospital & Microsoft Canada will inform my time at Aurat Raaj.
Qamarnisa Laghari
I adore the moon glowing in the sky as it relates to my name Qamar. I come from a family where I was always supported for my dreams, vision and ambition.
For my B.ED honors degree, I travelled across different areas of Larkana to get my education. My parents also wanted to see me in a successful position and now I want to make them proud by pursuing teaching as a career.
I love using Whatsapp & I am online often for my studies. I strongly believe that all girls should have the right to own their own smartphone especially in these times when critical information is first shared online.
I was nervous about beginning menstrual education work, but after starting, it became motivating.
Despite the fact that I am educated, it was only after the digital literacy training that I learned that I too could have my own gmail account, which allows me to install and use various apps. Now if someone in my family requires support in using a smartphone, I am able to help them.
Prior to being the menstrual champion, I never spoke on menstrual issues. I'm pleased to share that I've now reached nearly ten communities with menstrual education. The women were initially shy, but this soon changed.
I once hosted a listening party with college girls, and they loved it. I believe this information should also be given in schools and colleges. If I get a million rupees, I'll invest in a tailoring center for women in my village so they can have a steady income.
Anila Khatoon
I reside in Mehmood Kalhoro village, situated in Larkana District which is famous for sindh’s cultural poetry. If I were to describe myself in one word, it would be 'joyous’ because I usually have a smile on my face. My little brother is my favourite person in my life. My favourite game as a kid was cricket, but since we can't play it on the ground, I generally play it at home with my younger siblings.
I've always wanted to be a politician, but circumstances restricted me from pursuing this path. But I am happy that I still got my Bachelors in Science degree and am currently employed at SRSO as a Community Bookkeeper.
In my village, using smartphones is uncommon, and girls and women are not permitted to own phones; but, if necessary, they may use their brother's phones. I use the phone with my family’s permission for work.
I wasn't afraid to take on the role of digital champion because I knew there would be something new for me to learn. I host listening parties every month with different audio lessons. Knowing how to use digital tools and being digitally connected has a had a positive impact on me.
Nobody in my village used to talk about the menstrual cycle, and some women still avoid discussing it. However, there has been a significant shift in the way women manage their health and hygiene, as they now take better care of themselves during periods. They are now more comfortable in their daily routines. We recently had a listening party on mental health, and the women seemed to enjoy the audios.
My life has been quite challenging but I am not afraid of challenges and this is my advice to others: never devalue your work; do it honestly, and eventually others will admire you.
Naila Lashari
A digital pioneer and leading voice of guidance for the women and girls in my community, I come from a village that was filled initially with taboos and a fear for change, known as Maid Shaheed in Sindh’s Kamber district. With the introduction to digitalization and my listening parties however, my village has now grown into a community of women and young girls willing to learn and defeat these age old taboos and misconceptions around reproductive health.
The use of a mobile phone has always been frowned upon in my village, which is why I was extremely grateful to my brothers for standing up to my father and convincing him to let me use my very own mobile phone. And so it started, my love for technology! I especially admired how instantaneous every task became with this little device, and how I was able to so easily communicate with people both near and far. After the digital literacy workshops with Aurat Raaj, I conducted my listening parties and quickly became everyone’s call for help and guidance, and it overjoyed me to see that so many women and girls looked up to me for knowledge on not just reproductive health topics but also digital inclusion. I love connecting and bonding with them!
I will continue this work for as long as I can now that so many people are dependent on me, and if given a million dollars I’d help the poor and disabled people around me. Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor!
Saima
“We can’t let you study further now that your father has passed.” Haunted by these words for a generous portion of my life, I had promised myself to not simply accept the circumstances I was presented with. I wanted to persevere, to live up to my father’s name and the faith he always had in me. And so began my journey away from home. Living alone in a new environment with my grandmother, I cleared my matriculation and received my intermediate degree, and am now running my very own cosmetics business after having successfully completed a beautician’s course. This journey is what I believe highlights who I am, a woman of courage, resilience, and talent!
I come from a village in Larkana known as Sache Bux Jagirani, where I conduct listening parties and community discussions on important reproductive health topics, having reached a large majority of the women and girls in my vicinity. I especially admire Zoom, because it helps me connect with not just the Aurat Raaj Team, but also several other digital champions from all over rural Sindh! I also actively make an effort to curb misconceptions, taboos, and doubts surrounding reproductive health and the use of mobile phones among girls, which are mostly harbored by the elders in my village.
I like to spend my free time tutoring my siblings or learning something new on YouTube, and if I could be a bird I would be a sparrow. I really admire how independent they always are! If a million dollars fell into my lap right this very moment, I’d use them to expand my business and maybe even open a parlor.
Kainat Himmat
I like to think that my bullet-proof sense of purpose is what defines the thrilling 18 years I’ve spent on this planet so far. My name is Kainat, and I come from a small village in Sindh’s Kamber District, known as Moryani. I have cleared my matriculation and received my intermediate degree, and spend my free time conducting listening parties and serving as a role model for the women and girls around me!
Out of the few things that have brought me immense pride throughout my life, I think being able to make my own Zoom & Gmail accounts is definitely on the top of the list. While this may sound like a very easy, normal task for the everyday urban folk, it was way more life-defining for me. The minute I hit that ‘Confirm’ button, I was able to make my mark in the digital world, where the word digitalization was no longer a distant reality, but rather something I now had a firm grasp on. This feeling of pride only grew when I started helping the women and girls around me make their own accounts too :) Ever since then, you’ll find me scouring the Play Store and YouTube like a madwoman all day in search of new innovative apps and knowledge that will help me further advance myself as both a person and a member of my community.
I love group video calls and using my phone to conduct listening parties in my village, my favorite topic for which has been Child Marriage. This is a heartbreaking but prevalent rural reality that I’ve had to witness on countless occasions, which is why it was such a relief that I had access to the Child Marriage chatbot, which I could use to further educate both myself and my community members, especially the older women and mothers. I have also successfully stopped a child marriage from happening, which also takes a top spot on the list of things I’m proud of myself for! I think this is truly why I adore Raaji so much, because even though she’s just a chatbot, she has done more for me and my community than any governmental organization, society, family, or educational institution could ever accomplish.
Growing up in a village where only 2-3 girls were allowed to own mobile phones, all of whom were married, I was really thankful to my parents for being supportive enough to let me have my own. There was just a very demeaning mindset harbored by the village elders where they thought girls could not be trusted with a phone because they would use it to bring disgrace and danger to the family, and I’m glad my family was the first to rise above it. It has been a great outlet to support the many ambitions I had growing up; young me wanted to be an English Language lecturer growing up but she also really wanted to be a doctor. To her I say, the sky is the limit!