Human Rights & Gender Equality

Rukhshanda Naz

Legal Analyst | Managing Trustee

Mera Ghar-NET

Peshawar · English, Urdu, Punjabi

Biography

Rukhshanda Naz is a lawyer, legal analyst and activist who has been part of Pakistan's women's movement since the early 1990s. Her work with civil-society organisations has addressed violence against women and children, women's empowerment, Afghan refugee issues, and peace movements between India and Pakistan.

Her professional experience includes Aurat Foundation, leadership of the Global Human Rights Field Office for Afghanistan and Pakistan from November 2000 to 2001, and heading UN Women Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and former Federally Administered Tribal Areas division. She holds an LLM in International Law and a master's degree in Peace and Reconciliation Studies from Coventry University. Her alumni reflection was published by the university.

In 2019, Rukhshanda was appointed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's first Ombudsperson for Protection of Women Against Harassment at the Workplace. She served two terms from February 2019 to March 2025. She currently works as a founding trustee of Mera Ghar, a women's shelter she established in 2003 under Noor Education Trust. She is also Chairperson of the Women, Peace & Security Network Pakistan.

Her voluntary involvement includes the Pakistan-India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy, UN Women's civil-society advisory work, the Women Regional Network covering Afghanistan, India and Pakistan, and other forums on human rights, women's empowerment and peace.

Rukhshanda has contributed to research and gender reviews of legal frameworks in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Her research, Displacement and Rehabilitation: A Continued Struggle for a Gender-Sensitive Policy, was supported by USIP. She has also collected testimonies from conflict areas for Women in Conflict: Voices for Equality. Her work has received government and civil-society recognition for women's human rights, legal rights and community service.

Areas of expertise

• Law
• Training
• Research
• Mediation and Conflict Resolution

Key achievements

• First lawyer in her family.
• First Ombudsperson for Protection of Women Against Harassment at the Workplace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, serving two terms from February 2019 to March 2025.
• Founder of Mera Ghar women's shelter, established in 2003 under Noor Education Trust, and founding Chairperson of Women, Peace & Security Network Pakistan.
• Provincial Human Rights Award for defending women's human rights in KP and former FATA, from the Women Political Caucus and Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• National Human Rights Award for work for women's rights in former FATA, from the Ministry of Human Rights, Government of Pakistan.
• Services to Local Government Award from District Government Peshawar.
• Human Rights Defender recognition from Civil Society Network, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
• Recognition for the struggle for women's legal rights from the National Commission on the Status of Women.
• Benet-e-Hawa Life Achievement Award, 2025.

International experience

Asia

International experience includes travel as a speaker and trainer, and for further education. Holds an LLM in International Law and a master's degree in Peace and Reconciliation Studies from Coventry University, UK. Her work includes Afghanistan-Pakistan legal and human-rights research and regional peace networks.

Engagement interests

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

Profiles reflect information provided for the directory. All engagements and arrangements are subject to individual confirmation. Private contact details are not published. For an engagement enquiry, contact Balance 360.