Naushaba Roonjho, a community health worker from Sheikh Soomar in southern Sindh, Pakistan, is running for political office after overcoming years of family opposition. In 2010, she became the first girl in her district to pass the national secondary school exam, but her father told her to stop studying and stay at home. She was married within weeks to labourer Muhammad Uris.
Despite being barred from formal education, Roonjho independently continued her studies. When she applied to work as a community health worker for a rural development programme, her family accused her of dishonour. By 2019, they forced her to choose between her job and her home. Roonjho and her husband left and built their own house, a move that strengthened her resolve.
Working on vaccination drives and hygiene initiatives, Roonjho saw deep needs: lack of handwashing, no midwives, and high maternal mortality. She faced closed doors and rumours that polio vaccines were fake. Her husband, Uris, endured taunts but supported her unconditionally. 'Our thinking is different from the villagers,' he said.
Roonjho then turned to girls' education, going door-to-door to convince parents. Before her efforts, no girls attended the local government school. She persuaded families to send five or six girls, including her own daughters, and eventually seven were enrolled. 'For us, that is a very big number,' said Uris.
Through the Sindh Rural Support Organisation, Roonjho became president of a local support organisation, leading family planning, polio vaccination, and health initiatives. CEO Zulfiqar Kalhoro described her as a leader who never asked for herself but worked for other women. Now, Roonjho is campaigning for political office, aiming to ensure no girl in her village hears the words she heard: 'You don't need to study.'
