It was in 1997 that Sabiha Zaman first walked into WWF-Pakistan.
It was a time when few women stepped outside of their homes to pursue a professional career, or even higher studies.
But Sabiha has always been a trailblazer.
Passionate about conservation from childhood, Sabiha completed her high school as a private candidate. “At that time education for girls was considered a taboo,” says Sabiha matter of factly.
But that did not stop her from learning.
While gender stereotypes restricted her access to further formal education, she learnt all the scientific names of the plant species in Ayubia National Park, located close to her home, out of curiosity.
And when she came across a job opening at WWF-Pakistan for a project focused on that very national park, she knew she had found her calling.
The project required someone with a potential to build ties with local communities, a passion for conservation and a deep knowledge of the region and Sabiha matched the profile perfectly.
There was only one problem.
Twenty years ago, it was a bold move for a woman to take up a job in Pakistan — Sabiha was among the first women from her generation to join the workforce.
After she was recruited, following a selection process and reference from Mr Arshad in WWF’s Peshawar office — Sabiha started working with her trademark confidence and commitment but didn’t sign her employment contract till her brother had given his consent.
It was so rare for women to work in those days that Sabiha’s brother actually asked her if she was working for money and offered to deposit some funds in her name instead.
On understanding her passion and motivation for conservation however, he agreed immediately, never faltering in his support since.
In the past two decades, Sabiha has held a number of roles and responsibilities at WWF-Pakistan. She has been a part of the Ethno-botany project, the Common Leopard project and since 2009, she has been working with on water stewardship programmes.
“WWF-Pakistan has taught me a lot. I didn’t know a lot about field work when I joined but now I am able to manage all field and community related activities.”
During her tenure, Sabiha has worked very closely with local communities to raise awareness on conservation and the importance of nature and natural resources for people’s health and well-being. She has witnessed how over the years, as education and awareness increase, people are keen to work together as a community and with organizations like WWF to protect the forest and lands they have depended upon for centuries.
Today, Sabiha actively encourages people, especially students to come join WWF-Pakistan and seize the opportunities research and conservation offer for both personal and professional growth.
One of her most memorable experiences on the job is in fact her interaction with students during the Ethno-botany project.
She laughs as she recalls an incident where “during the field work we were conducting for the project, I had to continuously save an M.Phil student from Quaid-e-Azam University who was joining the research from falling off the terrain, falling down myself a number of times in the process.”
In August 2017, on the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan, Sabiha was recognized for her contribution toward the cause of climate change by the Pakistan Women Festival. She also received the Falcon Foundation Award for Conservation in 2000.
From trailblazer to role model, it has been a long journey for Sabiha and through the years, her passion for conservation — and WWF — has remained steadfast.
“For me, my work is not just a job. I consider it a responsibility and want respect for the organization. For me anyone who respects the organization is respecting me.”
Fatima Arif is the Senior Officer Digital Media, WWF-Pakistan.
