Disability activist Tanzila Khan receives Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award

Pakistani activist and businesswoman Tanzila Khan received the Prince’s Trust International Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award at The 2022 Prince’s Trust Awards for her work to increase women’s access to menstrual, pregnancy and reproductive health products.

The activist received the award at The Prince’s Trust Awards in London on Tuesday for her work on the GirlyThings menstrual hygiene app.

According to the timesClooney shared why he had chosen Khan for the award, saying, “I could feel the courage and I loved that he’s not waiting for other people to fix global problems.”

“Move over, Amazon,” Clooney had joked, “theirs arrive in 20 minutes.”

On Twitter, Tanzila Khan shared the exciting news saying, “Pakistan yeh aapkey liye! (Pakistan, this is for you!)”

Pakistan yeh apkay liye! ❤️ Winning the Amal Clooney Award for my work in Pakistan on menstrual health care. @girls_girls #London #Prince carlos #AmalClooney pic.twitter.com/WaBuJ5sK0n

— Tanzila Khan (@Tanzila__Khan) May 25, 2022

In an exclusive conversation with this writer, Tanzila shared: “I want everyone to know that this is a step forward for all menstruators in the world, in my country, for women with disabilities.”

GirlyThings.pk was Tanzila’s initiative to make menstrual hygiene products accessible to everyone no matter the circumstances. Since its release, the app has received notable praise, previously receiving the 2018 Summit Award.

But a hustler like Tanzila has yet to celebrate her award, as she’s already focused on the next step to improve the world.

“The thing is that anyone who is very serious about the work they do and the kind of opportunity they want to bring to their country is probably not going to be able to enjoy an experience because they are constantly thinking about the way forward. They are constantly thinking about connecting resources with opportunities. So even though I’m in this amazing space with amazing people, I’m constantly thinking about how we can take advantage of this opportunity as much as we can.”

“So I still need to take a break and enjoy afternoon tea, but before that I have a lot of work to do around this award.”

However, this does not mean that the activist did not enjoy her big day. Khan shared her happy moment on her social media, she shared how the Charlotte Tilbury team was getting ready and how the rain caught her on her way to the awards. And we all live vicariously through it.

“I have to do a red carpet for the first time in my life! It was great. As a woman with a disability, as someone in a hijab, being on the red carpet, posing, presenting a sense of fashion, presenting my cause and my country. That was exciting and I loved it and I was trying not to tangle my wheelchair. That is also something I have to consider all the time!”

The Amal Clooney Award aims to highlight the work of young women who have succeeded against all odds to make a difference in their communities. Amal Clooney personally selects the woman to whom the award is presented.

At the time of its release in 2019, Clooney had said in a press release“It is a privilege to be able to participate in a project that will bring attention to incredible young women who are the future leaders of our world.”

Upon meeting Amal Clooney, Tanzila revealed: “Amal Clooney is absolutely amazing, she’s so real. I had a chance to have a one-on-one with her, I had a tea party with her, where she sent everyone outside of her and said, ‘Tanzila, you and I will just talk,’ and we did.”

“We talk a lot about their own experiences and are trying to come up with more collaborations together. So menstrual health care is going to be a very strong area within the community to work on and in terms of human rights and health going forward and so forth.”

We have always admired the unstoppable force that is Tanzila Khan. From motivational speaker to author and founder of GirlyThings, the activist works hard to raise the voices of various disability communities. She makes sure to highlight the issues related to people with different disabilities, while spreading the message of love and joy. Whether through her Brain Masala Podcast” or comedy shorts like “Fruit Chaat”… we’re seeing a pattern here, should we add foodie to the many titles Tanzila has?

“We have to believe that if Tanzila has gotten to this point by being bold enough to speak out about menstruation and having a team of fans who inspired and supported her, all of you too can step up and acknowledge her causes. I really want to inspire all young girls to believe in ourselves, to have faith in ourselves.”

“The pressure would be there, but you are stronger than the pressure”

With the ultimate goal of being inclusive and accessible to all, we wish you the best and have no doubt that there is more to celebrate.

Report by: Sonia Ashraf