NEW YORK: Syeda Ghulam Fatima, a Pakistani human rights activist was honoured on Sunday with a Global Citizen award in New York for her dedication to civil rights and labour laws in Pakistan.
Fatima is the elected general secretary of the Bonded Labour Liberation Front (BLLF) Pakistan.
The activist works for the compliance of the International Labour Organisation’s labour standards in Pakistan, and campaigning for the legal rights of brick kiln workers and female domestic staff working through out Pakistan.
Fatima is also a member of the Provincial Committee for Abolition of Bonded Labour Punjab and the District Vigilance Committee.
During his recent visit to Pakistan, photo blogger Brandon Stanton of Humans of New York (HONY) coordinated with Fatima for the relief of bonded labour in Pakistan. HONY did a photo feature depicting Fatima’s struggle as an activist working towards the abolition of bonded labour in the country.
HONY termed Fatima as a modern day Harriet Tubman, and paid tribute to the rights activist who has been shot, beaten and electrocuted during her struggle for ending bonded labour, a form of modern day slavery. HONY’s images had such an impact, that people from around the world donated $2 million to BLLF.
Clinton Global Citizen Awards were established in 2007, and is meant to honour outstanding individuals who bring positive and lasting social change in their communities.