Sky is the limit: Fulbright scholar breaks barriers, one step at a time

Dr Bushra Rahim was driven by passion to fuel change

PESHAWAR:

Clad in a sea-green suit with a white shawl draped around her, Local Government Commission Deputy Director Dr Bushra Rahim briefs her staff about a meeting that is scheduled to start in a few minutes. Her tone is neither loud nor imperious. She instructs them in a soft, pragmatic voice and provides her staff the opportunity to learn.

“I always thought I would pave the way for women in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” she tells The Express Tribune. “I would never let them face the problems I did.”

Born in Swabi, Rahim went to school at a time when a woman’s world had the inner courtyard as its epicentre.

“I am from Sheikh Jana village in Swabi where most women stayed home,” she says. “Stepping out of the house was considered taboo for women, even if they went to school. However, with the support of my mother I am now the deputy director of the commission.”

Leap of faith

After completing her schooling, Rahim moved to Peshawar to pursue higher education. She studied at Municipal Inter College for Girls and subsequently completed her undergraduate degree from the government-run Frontier College. Later, she completed her postgraduate degree in information technology at University of Peshawar.

“Right after completing my postgraduate degree, I got an opportunity to work at the finance department,” she explains. “I worked a great deal to introduce reforms in the education and health sector. But it was not easy. I faced many problems because everyone ignored me. They thought I was young and did not take me seriously.”

However, Rahim was adamant to bring change. She soon got an opportunity to study at University of New England in Australia and completed her Master’s in education administration in 2005.

“I thought without an international degree no one would listen to me,” she says. “People at work would continue to snub me. So I applied for the AusAID scholarship programme.”

After she returned from Australia, she devoted her time and energy to bring positive change in the education sector.

“It was my passion to bring reforms in education so that our next generation can benefit from it,” Rahim says.

Change from within

Since then, she has not looked back. Rahim applied for the Fulbright scholarship for a PhD in education administration and policy studies from University of Albany in the US.

“It was not easy to get selected for this scholarship as I had to pass the GRE and TOEFL,” she says. “But I had only one thing in mind – I wanted to do something for my people.”

In four years and six months, she completed her PhD and returned to Pakistan in a desire to serve the people.

“Spending four years abroad was not easy,” Rahim explains. “In 2011, when I went to America it was a critical time as terrorism was spreading in Pakistan. I had to become a peace ambassador and show a positive side of my culture, religion and country.”

Rahim believes women hold the key to change their own destiny.

“Everything is in our hand and no one can take our right if we are aware of it,” she says. “Women of our region can only be successful if they all help each other to excel. Mothers should encourage their daughters like mine supported me to achieve the goals of my life.”

Rahim believes women need to take matters into their own hand.

“Without active participation, no legislation can be passed in favour of women,” Rahim said. “I belong to a Pukhtun family. If I can manage to go abroad for studies, I believe every girl can. All they need is support and encouragement.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2016.