Hilda Saeed

Family and Upbringing Hilda Josiah was born in Baroda (now Vadodara), India, on November 14, 1936, the first of five children of Alfred and Suman Josiah. Her family moved to Karachi in October 1937, when she was 11 months old. She went on to the University of Karachi in 1958, the same year that General Ayub Khan came to power in Pakistan's first military coup. She noted that this political shift marked the beginning of the erosion of students' rights and academic freedoms, providing a direct, early experience with state repression. This unique combination of scientific training, a degree in social work, and a political awakening during her university years provided the foundation for her future career. Interfaith Marriage In 1962, Hilda married Mazhar Saeed, a Muslim, whom she had met during her college years. == Career in Science, Journalism, and Activism ==

Hilda Saeed's professional life was multifaceted, moving from a distinguished career in science to becoming a leading journalist, scholar, and public intellectual for the feminist movement. Her career can be understood through the evolution of her public role over several decades. 1960–1978: Professor and Scientist Before becoming a full-time activist, Saeed built a career in science and academia that spanned eighteen years. Her work involved the scientific analysis of evidence from violent crimes, which brought her into direct contact with the brutal realities of sexual violence against women and children. 1980s: The Activist and Institution Builder By the 1980s, Saeed was a full-time human rights activist and a central figure in the women's movement. In 1978, she joined Shirkat Gah, where she would eventually serve two terms as Chair of the Board. In 1981, she co-founded the Women's Action Forum (WAF), a direct response to the infamous Fahmida and Allah Bux case. In 1983, she founded and edited National Health, Pakistan's first public health magazine, using it as a platform to introduce and champion the concept of "reproductive health rights" in the country. She remained a sharp political commentator, stating in a 1997 interview with UK's The Times that she could not "think of any women politicians who have stood up for women's rights." Her scholarly work continued with the 2000 academic chapter "Legalised Cruelty: Anti-Women Laws in Pakistan." 2000s – 2020s: The Historian and Matriarch In her later years, Saeed took on the role of a senior stateswoman and historian of the movement. In 2005, she was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She remained engaged with the movement, attending the modern Aurat March to show her support for the new generation of feminists. ==Legacy==

Hilda Saeed leaves behind a profound legacy as a social architect of Pakistan's modern feminist movement. Her most tangible impact lies in the enduring institutions she helped build. Organizations like the Women's Action Forum (WAF), Shirkat Gah, and the Panah shelter continue to provide a critical framework for legal aid, political protest, and social support decades after their founding. By establishing National Health magazine and the Pakistan Reproductive Health Network, she created platforms that permanently shifted the national discourse on women's health and reproductive rights. Her intellectual legacy was defined by her courage to broach taboo subjects. As a feminist scholar, she wrote critically on the intersection of religion and women's oppression, and her analysis was influential, cited by other academics and activists studying the women's movement in Pakistan. A defining trait noted by many was her profound humility; she consistently preferred to let her work speak for itself rather than seek personal accolades. Her legacy is also carried on through her family. Her daughter, Rahal Saeed, built an international career as a global health professional specializing in the very fields her mother pioneered: sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender equality. She has advised major institutions like the Gates Foundation on family planning grants in Pakistan and served as a Country Director for health policy programs. Her granddaughter, Adeera Batlay, reflects Hilda's scientific spirit through her own work as a published geosciences researcher, conducting fieldwork and presenting her findings at international scientific conferences. In her own words, Hilda Saeed summarized the goal of her life's struggle: ==Selected works==

• • • • Founder and editor of National Health magazine (1983–c.1999). • Columnist for Dawn. ==References==