Farida Shaheed is the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to education since 2022. In 2009, she was named the first UN Independent Expert in the field of cultural rights, and in 2012 she was appointed UN Special Rapporteur in the same field. A founding member of the Women's Action Forum (WAF), she is the Executive Director of Shirkat Gah - Women's Resource Centre in Pakistan.
This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Youth Democracy Movement: You participated in the establishment of the Women's Action Forum (WAF), a consciousness-raising and advocacy organization that has been at the forefront of the women's movement in Pakistan since the early 1980s. How did you come to join the Forum, and what initially drew you to playing a role in the protection of women's rights in Pakistan?
United Nations Special Rapporteur Farida Shaheed: At that time, I had just finished my studies, and returned home to look for a job. I had always been interested in people's rights, in terms of discrimination, whether it was based on class or gender. That had always been a priority; but when I came back, General Zia took over in a coup and we had the worst military regime we have known in our checkered history. There were creeping changes taking place: rights were being rescinded—not just women's rights, but also workers' rights and minority rights—and it continued increasing. There were questions about whether women could drive, or whether women could study, or what professions they could be in. None of these questions had ever been asked, or we thought that they had already been settled, so we were unprepared to face the speed with which rights were being taken away.
The proverbial straw that broke the camel's back was one case which appeared under a new law, the Hudud Ordinances. A man had been sentenced to be stoned to death, a woman had received a hundred lashes, and we couldn't believe it. I was already part of Shirkat Gah, a voluntary women's rights organization. We'd meet after work in each other's homes. There were nine of us at the time. We could not believe that this would happen in Pakistan, so it was really time to stand up and be counted, and that's what we tried to do. We did not set out to form a women's movement. We just wanted the citizens of Pakistan to stand up and to say, no, we cannot accept this any longer. The women were so angered by what they were experiencing on a daily basis that the need to stand up was there.
YDM: In 1985, four years after the establishment of the Women's Action Forum (WAF), you served as one of three primary coordinators of Shirkat Gah. In your estimation, how were the rules of patriarchy arranged in opposition to the ongoing struggle for women's rights, and how did you determine, as an organization, where to begin?
UNSR: There were different levels, and the first level was the state. When you live in a patriarchal society, or any society that practices discrimination, the role of the state is important. Women's rights were being taken away; men's rights were not being taken away. The state shot dead several trade unionists and workers; there was a lot of violence, and many people came out of the woodwork. When state officials propagate a narrative that encourages rabidness, it gives people a power that they did not have before. We could not be proactive as long as the military was in power, because there was something we had to do something about every day. The political parties were banned. The student unions were banned. The trade unions were banned. There was no political force with which we could align; but as people saw what we were doing, we did earn support from the political parties, even if it was tacit, even though they said, you're doing great, but for the wrong issue—come off democracy.
YDM: You have drawn attention to the importance of carrying out consciousness-raising, while simultaneously acting as a pressure group to safeguard the rights of women. Can you explain what consciousness-raising entails, and how, based on your experience leading Shirkat Gah, is it carried out?
UNSR: Consciousness-raising was something that the international women's movement had taken up in the sixties—encouraging people to think. We've always taken the position that advocacy is not unidirectional; rather, it is multi-level. Recently, we have increasingly worked to provide people opportunities to reflect on what is happening, and then to strategize collectively towards change. This is called the SALT approach: stimulating, appreciating, learning and listening, and transferring and transforming. You may decide not to act, because there is always a risk in acting—and you can't make that decision for others—but if you want people to change power dynamics, they have to first accept that the systems that exist are unjust. From that recognition, you have a way forward.
YDM: Isolated, suppressed, subject to the threat of violence, and mis-represented in popular media, how can victims of human rights abuses resist dehumanizing misrepresentations, build confidence, psychologically self-determine an uncontested identity, and carve out spaces for self-expression?
UNSR: Let me say first: with difficulty. When you are victimized and put down, you forget that you are a right-holder. That needs to be brought back into consciousness. All human beings have rights. You are a rights-holder. At the same time, survivors hold the power of the truth. I've seen this in many crisis situations where survivors speak about what happened. It is their truth, but they don't always remember this. In order for survivors to recover their own power, people must listen, and you need a support group of other survivors or supporters who can empathize and provide emotional, social, and public support. Community offers the basis from which you can transform yourself, move forward, confront discriminatory practices, and change how power is structured as a zero-sum game.
YDM: In August of 2022, you assumed the role of Special Rapporteur on the right to education, following service as Independent Expert and Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights from 2009 to 2015. In your capacity as Special Rapporteur, how do you, with the support of the Office and Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, record, investigate, report on, and take action to address human rights violations experienced by the most vulnerable children and youth worldwide?
UNSR: As an independent expert, we have three ways of working. First, we author thematic reports based on a theme within our mandate. For example, I have authored reports on teachers, safety, and academic freedom. Those reports conclude with recommendations for all nation-states, regardless of treaty ratifications. Second, we undertake country visits to investigate specific issues. At the end of the visit, we make recommendations to the host government and national stakeholders. Third, we issue communications. We may issue communications to states regarding documented or alleged violations of rights, or threats that rights may be violated. We cannot act on the basis of media, so we require that people write to us. If there is sufficient evidence in their complaint of violation or the threat of a violation, then we write to that government. Our letters and the government's responses are made available chronologically online. We also participate in panels, host press conferences, and engage with the media to draw attention to pressing human rights issues and raise global awareness.
YDM: In January 2026, you established the Right to Education Youth Network (REYN), an international network that aims to connect the global youth and student population to your office. Why did you elect to establish the REYN, and how can young people participate going forward?
UNSR: Young people feel unseen, unheard, unrecognized, and excluded from discussions. To me, youth are the experiential experts on education because they spend hours every day in schools and universities. I need to hear from young people in order to identify key issues in global education and promote their perspectives. In turn, we can develop solutions to those problems as a global community. The network creates a bridge between the global youth and the international standard-setting that special rapporteurs undertake as experts. This is a two-way street and a co-creative process. Through polls, surveys, and general conferences, youth can contribute directly to the office and share their thoughts on how to improve global education. I am a short-term mandate holder, but in the long term, I hope that the network will continue well beyond my tenure, connecting young people not just to the education mandate, but also to other special rapporteurs, in reports, visits, communications, panels, and forums, because the future belongs to the global youth. Young people have the right not just to be at the table, but to guide the discussion. We look forward to hearing youth voices, so that they can participate in discussions across the international human rights system.
