Syeda
I Rise because: “When women
get Ph.D.s, they can get good jobs at
colleges and universities and guide
other girls to get their educations.”
S
yeda Sabahat Fayyaz is an unusual
woman in Pakistan. She is a single
mother living on her own after divorc-
ing her abusive husband. Other women in her
situation may shrink away from society and
the criticism of being a single mother living
independently, but Syeda is determined to
rise up and pave the way for other women to
be independent.
Though she has a master’s degree in
Chemistry and was teaching in a school, she
dreamed of having a Ph.D. However, her hus-
band did not support those dreams. He beat
her, forced her to quite teaching, and refused
to let her continue her education. Though she
had a young daughter, she left him and moved
out on her own.
Syeda held on to her dream to earn her
Ph.D., but as a single mother wasn’t sure it
was possible. “As a single parent and a woman
it is difficult to get education and fulfill the
CentralAsiaInstitute.org
financial requirement,” she says. “It is also
difficult to face criticism of society, they don’t
consider it good for a single woman to get her
education.”
Syeda learned about scholarships to
help needy students offered at Central Asia
Educational Trust (CAET) one of CAI’s
Pakistan partners, and applied for help to
finally earn her Ph.D. “If I did not receive
a scholarship it would not be possible to
complete my studies,” she says. “There are few
opportunities and facilities for women to get
Ph.Ds.”
After she completes her degree, Syeda
wants to work with an NGO or start her own
to support education for other girls in her
region. “I want to become a role model for
the girls of Pakistan.” Despite struggles and
hardships, she is determined to rise up and
become a leader for her daughter and other
young girls in Pakistan. n
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