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Job title/position
Director Projects
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Organization
Special Talent Exchange Program, Pakistan
With a personal experience of physical disability, Abia Akram has been engaged in the activities of Disability Movement since 1997. She is one of the 100 BBC Women 2021 and the Member of the Council on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Ministry of Human Rights. In the struggle of giving voice to women with disabilities, she has been lobbying with parliamentarians, UN high level representatives focusing on developing advocacy strategies to raise awareness, network, and build capacity and at the UN level in relation to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Inclusive Development. She Sit-In and instrumental in the development and implementation of other legislation, such as the Disability Rights Act 2020 and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She is known as one of most active women with disabilities leader globally. She also coordinates efforts of including persons with disabilities in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals. In particular, she established National Forum of Women with Disabilities, Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP), Ageing and Disability Task Force (ADTF), and has been recently assigned the responsibility as Chair, Asia Pacific Women with Disabilities Network. She is the Co-Coordinator, Asia Pacific Women with Disabilities United and Coordinator, South Asia Disability and Development Initiative (SADDI) Project, Executive Board Member, Commonwealth Disability Forum. Abia is also a Board Member of Asia Pacific Women Law & Development (APWLD) worked in more than 30+ countries in all over the world.
With the support of US Embassy Pakistan Abia has organised and lead three Exchange Programs and took 56 Persons with disabilities, parliamentarians, representatives of Government in the delegation. Abia played a key role in lobbying with policymakers, DPOs and like-minded groups to create demand for the law to protect their rights. He guided process of drafting The ICT Rights of Persons with Disability Act 2020. Abia’s’ significant contribution for Pakistan’s first-ever legislation to protect the rights of persons with disabilities has been acknowledged by the Government of Pakistan.
Abia has improved accessibility, conducted trainings and created opportunities for the millions of people around the world with disabilities. She is the recipient of Human Rights Presidential Award and is among the Chevening 35 Changemakers globally. She has acquired British Council’s Chevening Scholarship and completed her post-graduation in Gender and International Development from the University of Warwick, UK, to envision the leadership role of women with disabilities and learn the practical strategies to implement in the legislation inline with UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). She was given the British Council Alumni Award for her services for persons with disabilities and bringing social change in their lives. She is highlighting the concerns of women with disabilities in global agenda through her engagement in disability-focused grassroots activism and broader policymaking with emphasis on inclusive strategies and systematic change through advocacy, collaboration, and awareness.