The International Forum for Democratic Studies
at the National Endowment for Democracy
cordially invites you to a book launch celebrating the publication of
featuring
Fouzia Saeed
Chairperson, Mehergarh
moderated by
Sally Blair
International Forum for Democratic Studies
Tuesday, April 2, 2013 3:00–4:30 p.m. (Copies of the book will be available for purchase. Pre-purchased books are also welcome for the author’s signing.)
1025 F. Street, N.W., Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20004 Telephone: 202-378-9675
RSVP (acceptances only) with name and affiliation by Friday, March 29
Working with Sharks is a riveting account of sexual harassment at the United Nations in Pakistan. Fouzia Saeed narrates her harrowing personal experience in the context of Pakistani culture and her struggle to deal with male colleagues at the UNDP mission in Islamabad. Realizing that she was not alone, Ms. Saeed united with ten other women to file a joint complaint, but instead of finding sympathy and support, the group was attacked by senior personnel who aligned with the perpetrator in an effort to stifle the group. Despite obstacles and setbacks, Ms. Saeed’s perseverance brought the case to UN headquarters in New York and later sparked a national movement that culminated in the passage of landmark legislation by the Pakistani Parliament in 2010, making sexual harassment a crime. Please join us as Ms. Saaed recounts her experience battling the UN system and a patriarchal culture to demand dignity and fair treatment for Pakistani women in the workplace.
Fouzia Saeed is chairperson of Mehergarh, an Islamabad-based human rights and democracy center that conducts training and research on youth activism and empowerment, and a visiting fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy. A prominent Pakistani social activist and community leader with over thirty years of work experience in the field of gender, human rights, and democracy, she was formerly the Pakistan country director for Action Aid, focusing on gender and governance at the regional level. Her work to develop a nationwide alliance against sexual harassment, her authorship of anti-harassment legislation, and her success in lobbying for its passage have gained national recognition, with lessons for the region. In addition to Working with Sharks, Ms. Saeed is the author of Taboo!: The Hidden Culture of a Red Light District, an ethnographic look at prostitution in Pakistan, and Forgotten Faces, Daring Women of the Pakistani Folk Theatre, a chronicle of the first woman to own a travelling stage theater in Punjab.
