Daily Times

The embassy of Czech Republic in Pakistan here on Tuesday launched a web page jointly developed by Czech arts school and the National College of Arts (NCA) Lahore with objective to highlight the role of women in the society, providing role models, and supporting women empowerment.

Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic Jiri Kozak and Tomáš Smetánka, Czech Ambassador to Pakistan inaugurated along with Nilofar Bakhtiar.

Ambassador said with this initiative contact among people of the two counties would be further strengthened.

He said women of Pakistan achieved great success in every field including science, technology and education

A hundred of artistic portraits of women, who shaped the past and present of Pakistan and Czechia, together with their short biographies, can be accessed at the domain heroines.pk.

In 2020, students of Ladislav Sutnar Faculty of Design and Art in the Czech city of Plzen created a set of 50 posters of outstanding women of all times.

The collection inspired NCA to produce a similar series, celebrating prominent Pakistani women. The Czech and Pakistani Heroines posters exhibition was then held in Lahore on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Pakistan last August. Afterwards, pictures of 50 + 50 great women from both countries have been edited into a book, published in December 2022.

In order to make the Czech and Pakistani Heroines widely accessible, the Czech Embassy prepared the online form of the book, which will also include an Urdu version.

“I wish the Heroines serve in education, to widen boys’ and particularly girls’ view about the roles women have been playing and can play as professionals, artists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, politicians, social activists,” says Ambassador Tomáš Smetánka.

“I do hope portraits of personalities like Samina Baig, Asma Jahangir, Perween Rahman or Arfa Kareem will inspire young ladies to the best use of their talents and abilities.”

“The women of Czech & Pakistan are resilient and fearless, their stories have a special place in our hearts and now they’ll live forever through the very special initiative: web page Heroines.pk,” Chairperson Nilofar Bakhtiar says.

The Czech Embassy, NCA, and Bata Pakistan Ltd. as sponsor of the project decided to establish “The Heroine Award to be conferred every year to a woman that distinguishes herself in her profession or area of activity.

The laureate’s portrait will then be added to the collection. Public can submit nominations for the award through www.heroines.pk.