Shad Begum (Social Worker)

Shad Begum, the Pashtun social worker, was born on January 20, 1979, in Talash, Lower Dir, Pakistan. She belongs to a religious and middle-class family and is the first university-educated female in her family. She has always received support from her father, brothers, and husband for her social work.

In 1994, Shad Begum founded the Association for Behaviour and Knowledge Transformation (ABKT) for the development of women in the area. Initially known as Anjuman Behbood-i-Khawateen Talash, ABKT faced many challenges in the male-dominated conservative society of the area. When the Taliban rose in the area and she was threatened by unidentified militants, she shifted her office to Peshawar.

She contributed to female education, political awareness, and health improvement projects in the area. Her organization also completed projects like construction of hanging bridges, installation of hand pumps, sinking wells, paving streets, provision of small loans to local traders, and capacity building of women at grassroots level.

Shad Begum received the International Women of Courage Award in 2012.