Dr. Fouzia Saeed, a social scientist with a PhD from the University of Minnesota, is the author of “Taboo! The Hidden Culture of a Red Light Area”, based on 8 years of field research in the red light district of Lahore, Pakistan.
She served as the Executive Director of the National Institute of Folk and Traditional Heritage (Lok Virsa), where she revitalized the institute into a vibrant center for cultural expression. As a cultural activist and leader, she has played a significant role in preserving and promoting Pakistan’s diverse traditions.

Dr. Saeed is a prominent figure in Pakistan’s social movements, especially in the advocacy for women’s rights. Her work spans over three decades and focuses on gender-based violence, women’s mobility, sexual harassment, prostitution, and the role of women in the entertainment industry. In 1991, she co-founded Pakistan’s first women’s crisis center.
She also contributed to the documentation of cultural practices through her earlier work with the Pakistani Culture Institute, which led to the publication of the book Women in Folk Theatre.

During her career she has headed the UN Gender Program in Pakistan, served as Pakistan Country Director for Action Aid and currently is an international consultant in the field of Gender and Development. As a consultant, over the years, she has worked in Pakistan, USA, Bahamas, Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Afghanistan, Fiji and several other Pacific Island countries.

Her current activist work includes being the Director of Mehergarh, an institute committed to transform the youth of this country, an active member of AASHA, as alliance against sexual harassment at the workplace and an active member of a campaign against bonded labour. In addition, the urgency to work on anti talibanization has moved her to be a part of a nationwide movement against this vicious process. Her main identity remains as a human rights and women’s activist in Pakistan.

A Brief Profile of Dr. Fouzia Saeed

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