Human rights activist Jalila Haider receives ‘alternative Nobel’ award

Human rights activist Jalila Haider has been awarded the Right Livelihood Award, often referred to as the "alternative Nobel", for her efforts in challenging ethnic, state, and patriarchal persecution. The Sweden-based Right Livelihood Foundation honoured Haider for her work as the first female lawyer from her Hazara community to fight against persecution.

Haider led a seven-day hunger strike in 2018 against the targeted killing of Hazaras, which led to direct negotiations between the army chief and Hazara women, resulting in a decrease in attacks against the community. She has also combined legal work with street activism and community empowerment, securing justice for thousands of targeted or ignored ethnic, gender, and religious minorities, as well as refugees.

Haider is a founding member of the Women’s Democratic Front and helped pioneer Balochistan's first Women’s March, sparking discussions on feminism in a deeply patriarchal region. Despite facing detention, cyber-harassment, and death threats, Haider continues to work towards a world where "no human being is illegal."

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