Pakistan
May 06, 2019

Nazish Tariq Rahmani, 29, experienced foreign events as a self-proclaimed “90s kid from Pakistan,” striking a balance between dealing with the immediate danger in her region after 9/11 and demonstrating her emotional connection to the recovery of America and other countries after the terrorist attacks.

The paradigm shift led Rahmani to focus on sustainability as it pertains to both governance and human development. She ended up joining National Assembly of Pakistan as a Parliamentary Associate under a European Union Project to strengthen Parliamentary performance which equipped her with tools to transmit the reality of interacting with a hostile world to a method of involvement through the Parliament of Pakistan. She worked there for five years, witnessing the realities of people across Pakistan and helping them through data and personal involvement.

Her service with the Leader of the Opposition Office gave her an opportunity to assist in Government’s oversight and accountability, raise issues of national importance on the Floor of the House, in Parliamentary Committees, international forums and media talks. She has also been involved in gender-specific activism both in Parliament and civil society which supported women in communities as they became involved in local governance. Through Inclusive Security USA, Nazish worked to fulfill the promise of an increase in budget allocation for female police officers in the USFG, as well as the appointment of the first Gender Advisor in the National Police Bureau of Pakistan.

After the Obama Foundation Scholars Program, Nazish will return to Pakistan in her mission of inclusive policy development, using the skills she develops within the Program to play a leading role in the work for planning sustainable policies.

“I see the Obama Foundation Scholars Program as a pathway towards making my contribution in making this world a better place for future generations. It is an opportunity to grow in the light of the organization’s vision, learn from future potential leaders and contribute in [a] global development agenda.”