Fahmida Hussain

Fahmida Hussain was a Pakistani writer, feminist, and linguist who worked on various aspects of Sindhi language, literature, and culture. She was the daughter of a scholar who translated the poetry of Hafiz Shirazi from Persian to Sindhi, and the sister of a well-known author and researcher. She was a former model and computer engineer who graduated from Columbia University with a master's degree in journalism. She wrote for various magazines such as Marie Claire, Dawn, Herald, The Express Tribune, and The Caravan. She also collaborated with her husband Abdul Hussain on several video projects. She was known for her brave and insightful reporting on topics such as colorism, religious persecution, cultural assimilation, and violence against women. She also wrote several books of short stories, plays, and cookery, including the popular cookbook Ismati Dastarkhwan, which compiled recipes from the women of Awadh. She was also an editor, helming the women's social and literary magazine Ismat from 1979 until her death, having previously contributed to the journal under her father's editorship. Under her leadership, the publication increasingly incorporated political news updates both from Pakistan and from around the world. From 1977 to 1982, she also edited the monthly publication Johar-e-niswan. Fahmida Hussain was a feminist who advocated for women's rights among Muslim communities in the Indian subcontinent. She eventually settled in Karachi, where she was credited with helping to foster a liberal environment. She was the Chairperson of Sindhi Language Authority from 2008 to 2015, and the Director of Shah Abdul Latif Chair at the University of Karachi for ten years. She was also a Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Sindhi at the same university. She received several awards and honors for her work, such as the President's Pride of Performance, the Pakistan Academy of Letters Award, the Latif Award, the Sahyog Foundation Award, the Hijra Award, the Sindhi Adabi Sangat Award, and the Sindh Graduates Association Award. She died of natural causes at her home in Karachi on 5 April 2020. She was 71 years old. Her death sparked an outpouring of grief and tributes from the media industry and beyond. She was praised for breaking the stereotypes of beauty in Pakistan and empowering darker-skinned women. She was described as stunning, unapologetic, professional, and talented by her colleagues and friends.