Shaheen Sardar Ali
Encyclopedia
Shaheen Sardar Ali is a Professor of Law, author and has served as Former Chair of the National Commission on the Status of Women
of Pakistan
. She is also a professor at the University of Warwick
at the Law faculty and teaches Islamic Law.
, was born in Swat in 1955 in Pakistan
and obtained her BA, LLB and an MA in Political Science from the University of Peshawar
. A Foreign and Commonwealth Scholarship allowed her to come to the UK in 1990, to take an LLM in international law at Hull University. She returned to Pakistan and gained a professorship at Peshawar University in 1995. Three years later, she returned to the United Kingdom, teaching as a law lecturer at Warwick. Her research and teaching interests include International Law of Human Rights, women's and children's rights and Islamic Law and Jurisprudence.
Shaheen is fluent in Urdu
, Pashtu and Punjabi
, can read and write Arabic and has a working knowledge of Persian
. Furthermore, she serves as a consultant for the British Council, The World Bank, UNIFEM
, ILO, NORAD and Radda Barnen
and is a member of the British Council Task Force on Gender and Development
. Shaheen often contributes to radio and television programmes and appears as commentator on current affairs and debates.
She is also the current Vice-Chair of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
She is married to Ali and the mother of two daughters, Gulsanga and Zara, and one son, Isfandyar.
National Commission on Status of Women
National Commission on Status of Women is a Pakistani statutory body established by the President Pervez Musharraf, under the XXVI Ordinance dated 17 July 2000....
of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. She is also a professor at the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
at the Law faculty and teaches Islamic Law.
Biography
Shaheen, a PashtunPashtun people
Pashtuns or Pathans , also known as ethnic Afghans , are an Eastern Iranic ethnic group with populations primarily between the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan and the Indus River in Pakistan...
, was born in Swat in 1955 in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
and obtained her BA, LLB and an MA in Political Science from the University of Peshawar
University of Peshawar
The University of Peshawar is a public sector university in the city of Peshawar, Pakistan. The university was established in October 1950 by Mr...
. A Foreign and Commonwealth Scholarship allowed her to come to the UK in 1990, to take an LLM in international law at Hull University. She returned to Pakistan and gained a professorship at Peshawar University in 1995. Three years later, she returned to the United Kingdom, teaching as a law lecturer at Warwick. Her research and teaching interests include International Law of Human Rights, women's and children's rights and Islamic Law and Jurisprudence.
Shaheen is fluent in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, Pashtu and Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, can read and write Arabic and has a working knowledge of Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
. Furthermore, she serves as a consultant for the British Council, The World Bank, UNIFEM
UNIFEM
The United Nations Development Fund for Women, commonly known as UNIFEM was established in December 1976 originally as the Voluntary Fund for the United Nations Decade for Women in the International Women's Year. Its first director was Dr. Margaret Snyder, Ph.D...
, ILO, NORAD and Radda Barnen
Rädda Barnen
Rädda Barnen is the name of the Swedish section of the International Save the Children Alliance.The Swedish section was founded on November 19, 1919 by Ellen Palmstierna together with writer Elin Wägner and Gerda Marcus .-See also:* Timeline of young people's rights in the United Kingdom...
and is a member of the British Council Task Force on Gender and Development
Gender and Development
The Gender and Development approach is a way of determining how best to structure development projects and programs based on analysis of gender relationships...
. Shaheen often contributes to radio and television programmes and appears as commentator on current affairs and debates.
She is also the current Vice-Chair of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is a United Nations agency that works to promote and protect the human rights that are guaranteed under international law and stipulated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948...
(OHCHR) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
She is married to Ali and the mother of two daughters, Gulsanga and Zara, and one son, Isfandyar.
Works
- Gender and Human Rights in Islam and International Law: Equal Before Allah, Unequal Before Man? (2000) ISBN 90-411-1268-5
- Development Processes: Some experiences from the North West Frontier of Pakistan (2002)