Mehwish Hayat Louds Using Truck Art for the Rights of the Girl Child
By Muhammad YaseenPublished On 05 Jan 2023
The Ministry of Human Rights initiative “Truck Art for Awareness and Advocacy for the Rights of the Girl Child in Pakistan” mesmerizes stakeholders.
- “The biggest achievement of this intervention is that Truck owners, Truck drivers and Truck artists own this initiative,” says Samar Minallah (Anthropologist/ Pioneer of the Truck Art for Awareness intervention in Pakistan
- “Ministry of Human Rights, Government of Pakistan stands tall for upholding all constitutionally enshrined rights of the girl child” Dr. Shireen Mazari, Federal Minister for Human Rights
This year marked over 25 years of the International Day of the Girl Child. The Ministry of Human Rights, Government of Pakistan, through the Huqooq-e-Pakistan Programme, in collaboration with the European Union held a launch event on 11th October 2019 at Lok Virsa in the country’s capital, Islamabad.
20 Newly painted trucks transverse across Pakistan to ensure the right message reaches the right audiences. Trucks, moving billboards, here are becoming vehicles for spreading awareness regarding educating girls, and truck art is making its way to bridge communication gaps between key stakeholders involved in ensuring rights are given to the girl child
“Let’s pledge to give girls a better brighter future,” said Mehwish Hayat, the appointed Goodwill Ambassador to the Rights of the Girl Child by the Ministry of Human Rights, in her talk engaging with the participants of the launch event.
Goodwill Ambassador for the Rights of the Girl Ms. Mehwish Hayat addressing during a function to mark International Day of Girl Child (Advocacy and Awareness through Truck Art) at Lok Virsa
“The brightly painted trucks through Pakistan’s indigenous truck art support us in creating awareness as well as amplifying a message to begin advocacy from within the grassroots of Pakistan from the remotest of areas,” says Minallah.
She further added that Hayat Khan, a truck workshop owner, extended great cooperation in this regard and played a pivotal role in convincing other truck drivers to change the paintings on their rides.
The Launch event was attended by over 400 participants. A gathering with all relevant players presents to commemorate the Day of the Girl Child. The event marks not only the beginning of a new era of the amplification of the rights of the girl child but also is a testament to the fact that the Pakistani society is proud of its traditional art forms and the role community members like a truck owner, drivers and artists are taken up for the cause.
Truck Artist Tahir Hayat adds finishing touches as he paints “Let me study, I will brighten the future”
Federal Minister for Human Rights Dr. Shireen Mazari, European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Mrs. Androulla Kaminara and Goodwill Ambassador for the Rights of the Girl Ms. Mehwish Hayat jointly distributing certificates among the artists during a function to mark International Day of Girl Child (Advocacy and Awareness through Truck Art) at Lok Virsa.
