Mahrang Baloch and Hadiqa Kiani make it to BBC 100 Women 2024 List

Women are unbreakable, and the BBC 100 Women 2024 list demonstrates that.

The British publication’s list includes 100 inspiring and powerful women from all around the world and “acknowledges the toll this year has taken on women by honouring those who — through perseverance — continually fight for shift, as the earth changes around them.”

This year’s list included two Pakistani women: Baloch rights activist Mahrang Baloch and singer Hadiqa Kiani.

Here are some of the most outstanding women on the list, along with their achievements and deeds of perseverance.

Mahrang Baloch (Pakistan)

Mahrang Baloch represents nonviolent protests against enforced disappearances in Balochistan. According to the BBC, “in late 2023, Baloch led hundreds of women on a 1,600-kilometer march to the capital Islamabad to seek answers on the condition of their family members. She was arrested twice on her journey.”

Her father was “reportedly taken away by law enforcement officers in 2009 and found deceased just over two years later with evidence of torture.”

The doctor has gained prominence as an activist through her human rights organization, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee.

Her efforts resulted in a massive 2023 protest march to Islamabad, demanding justice for missing people. This attention on her activism draws on her long-standing advocacy efforts, which includes founding the Baloch Yakjehti Committee. Mahrang’s award by the BBC highlights her devotion to human rights and social justice in a community plagued by terrorism and deprivation.

Hadiqa Kiani (Pakistan)

Hadiqa Kiani, an acclaimed musician, was chosen to the list for her charity work, especially her reaction to Pakistan’s floodwaters in 2022.

Kiani established Vaseela-e-Raah, which is devoted to assisting sufferers in Balochistan and the southern Punjab region.

She asked the public to help those in need, and the initiative revealed last year that it had completed 370 homes and other services in the impacted districts.

Hadiqa Kiani’s recognition is equally important, not only for her musical accomplishments, but also for her substantial humanitarian activities. She is well-known for her broad musical career, but she has also emerged as a significant figure in global activism, particularly as a UNDP goodwill ambassador.