Dr. Fouzia Saeed

Dr. Fouzia Saeed is director of Mehergarh, an Islamabad-based human rights and democracy center that conducts training and research on youth activism and empowerment. 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 in 2010 have gained national recognition, with lessons for the region. Recognizing the important role that citizens can play in shaping public policy and fostering international exchange, Dr. Saeed plans to devote her fellowship to exploring how civil society can influence legal and political decision-making in Pakistan and the United States.