Art project highlighting great Pakistani women now online
A hundred of artistic portraits of women who shaped the past and present of Pakistan and Czechia, together with their short biographies, can be accessed at the domain heroines.pk.
The web page launched at a media event in Islamabad Serena Hotel by the Deputy Foreign Minister of Czechia Mr Jin Kozák together with a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan and Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson of the National Commission on the Status of Women.
Heroines.pk is the next step of a co-operative project of a Czech arts school and the National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore that aims at highlighting the role of women in the society, providing role models, and supporting women empowerment.
In 2020, students of Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in the Czech city of Plen created a set of 50 posters of outstanding women of all times. The collection inspired NCA to produce a similar series, celebrating prominent Pakistani women. The Czech and Pakistani Heroines posters exhibition was then held in Lahore on the occasion of the 75t anniversary of Pakistan last August. Afterwards, pictures of 50 + 50 great women from both countries have been edited into a book, published in December 2022.
In order to make the Czech and Pakistani Heroines widely accessible, the Czech Embassy prepared the online form of the book, which will also include an Urdu version. “I wish the Heroines serve in education, to widen boys’ and particularly girls’ view about the roles women have been playing and can play as professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, politicians, social activists, says Ambassador Tomás Smetánka. „I do hope portraits of personalities like Samina Baig, Asma Jahangir, Perween Rahman or Arfa Kareem will inspire young ladies to the best use of their talents and abilities.
The women of Czech & Pakistan are resilient and fearless, their stories have a special place in our hearts and now they’ll live forever through the very special initiative: web page Heroines.pk,” Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar says.
The Czech Embassy, NCA, and Bata Pakistan Ltd. as sponsor of the project decided to establish The Heroine Award to be conferred every year to a woman that distinguishes herself in her profession or area of activity. The laureate’s portrait will then be added to the collection. Public can submit nominations for the award through www.heroines.pk.
Editor: Raja kamran