Human Rights & Gender Equality

Rabia Tahir

Founder & Executive Director, FWAID | Gender & Disability Inclusion Specialist

Frontier Women Alliance for Inclusive Development (FWAID)

Islamabad · English, Urdu

Biography

Rabia Tahir is a gender, disability and intersectional inclusion specialist and Founder and Executive Director of Frontier Women Alliance for Inclusive Development (FWAID), a women-led organisation in Pakistan. Her work connects grassroots priorities with policy advocacy and institutional engagement to advance the rights, leadership and socioeconomic inclusion of women and girls with disabilities, transgender persons and underserved communities.

She previously served as National Coordinator at the National Commission on the Status of Women and has held advisory roles with the National Forum of Women with Disabilities and Limelight Society for Blind Girls. Her work spans gender equality, gender-based violence prevention, inclusive disaster risk reduction and community leadership, with an emphasis on rural poverty, accessibility and participation in decision-making.

Rabia holds a master's degree in English Literature from the University of Peshawar and is pursuing an MS in Development Studies. Her further studies include International Relations at SOAS University of London and Policy Design through Harvard Kennedy School's Public Leadership Credential programme. Her professional development includes training through UNDRR, the International Training Centre of the ILO and UN Women.

A recipient of the Fakhr-e-Hazara Award, her international engagement includes participation in the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development in Bangkok and the Global Disability Summit 2025 in Berlin.

Areas of expertise

• Gender equality and intersectionality
• Disability inclusion
• Human rights and inclusive governance
• GBV prevention
• Inclusive disaster risk reduction

Key achievements

Founder and Executive Director of FWAID; former National Coordinator at the National Commission on the Status of Women; recipient of the Fakhr-e-Hazara Award. International engagement includes APFSD Bangkok and the Global Disability Summit 2025 in Berlin.

International experience

Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development, Bangkok, 2025; Global Disability Summit, Berlin, Germany, 2025.

Engagement interests

Speaker · Panelist · TV / Radio · Podcast · Mentor · Training

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