Student Activist Series featuring Filza Mutaal

As a student growing up in Pakistan, Filza identified sexual harassment occurring in school during her teen years. She questioned why boys and men in positions of power, especially in school settings, get away with sexist behavior. She openly shared her perceptions on her social media accounts. Other young girls began to share their stories of harassment in school. Hundreds of submissions pointed to a pattern of misconduct and harassment by four teachers across leading private schools in her community. To facilitate healing, Filza worked with others to set up virtual pods connected to professional mental health support for survivors. She then made an appeal to the Minister of Education and Human Rights to set up an internal review committee investigating these accusations. Filza’s efforts resulted in the removal of the four instructors, and their school systems received formal guidance on how to navigate reports of sexual misconduct. Join us for a presentation to learn more about her experiences in Pakistan as well as what you can do to further your own activism.