In the mountains of Hunza, women are breaking barriers by running successful businesses, something rare in many parts of the country.
One example is Bibi Amina, who started a carpentry workshop in 2008. She now employs 22 people and has trained about 100 women in woodworking. This is unusual because women make up only a small part of Pakistan’s formal workforce.
Hunza Valley, home to about 50,000 people, has a high literacy rate of 97% for both men and women, thanks to early education efforts by the Aga Khan family. This is much higher than the national average. As a result, people’s attitudes toward women working have changed.
Amina said that before, people thought women should only do household chores. But now, women like her are taking on new roles and running businesses. Her carpenters are even working on projects for luxury hotels.
Another example is Lal Shehzadi, who opened a small cafe to support her family. Over 16 years, her cafe became popular with tourists, and now she employs 11 people, mostly women. Her children also help in the business.
Safina, inspired by Lal, started her own restaurant after convincing her family to sell some livestock to fund it. She now earns much more than before.
Experts say three main reasons explain why women in Hunza are doing better than in other rural areas: high literacy, small landholdings that pushed women to work outside farming, and support from organizations like the Aga Khan Foundation.
Women’s progress is also seen in sports. Every village in Hunza has a women’s soccer team, which is rare in Pakistan. Young players like Nadia Shams train freely, wearing clothes not allowed elsewhere in the country.
Famous player Malika-e-Noor, who helped Pakistan win a championship in 2010, inspires girls like Fahima Qayyum. Fahima now helps train new players and encourages girls to play sports for health and scholarship opportunities.
