Alishba Khan Barech from Nushki, Pakistan has been selected as a finalist for the 2025 Women Changing the World Awards.
Among 751 short listed nominations, the judges have selected Alishba Khan Barech as a finalist for the Young Woman of the Year Award, recognizing her extraordinary contributions to literature, advocacy, and youth empowerment, said a press release issued here Friday.
The Women Changing the World Awards presented by Oprah Winfrey’s all- time favorite guest, Dr Tererai Trent, celebrate and recognize women achieving outstanding success in areas such as sustainability, humanitarian work, leadership, advocacy, tech, product development, education, health and innovation.
The awards are designed to recognize the growing number of women who are leading the way in making the world a better place for us all and inspire other women to answer the call to take action.
Dr Trent explains, “These exceptional women are here to awaken hearts, give permission to recapture dreams, and inspire the women of the world to come together to forge a brighter path for all. The rising of women is the awakening of everybody.”
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Hailing from Nushki, near the Afghan border—a region often associated with militancy—Alishba is determined to redefine its legacy. Instead of a militant, she hopes to be the one who shapes its narrative. She is Pakistan’s youngest novelist, having written her debut novel at 11, and the country’s youngest memoirist, beginning her memoir at 14. By 16, she became Pakistan’s youngest self-published author.
Her journey extends beyond literature—she has served as a UNICEF Pakistan ambassador for polio eradication, a youth ambassador for mental health in UNICEF’s On My Mind campaign, and a youth ambassador for the Quetta Gladiators. Currently, Women Changing the World Awards & Global Summit wcwawards.com she is a youth advisor to the Prime Minister of Pakistan and a member of the National Youth Council. UNICEF honored her as a Trailblazer Author during the Girl of the Day campaign.
Recently, she earned a merit scholarship and acceptance into the prestigious John Locke Summer University 2024, becoming the first female Pashtun from Balochistan to achieve this milestone.
