As the New Year is about to dawn, it is time to look back. Let’s glance at women’s new endeavours and achievements on the national and international scenario in 2014. These women are our mentors and an inspiration for us to move forward. Find out our top picks for some of this year’s women achievers that are likely
to have an impact on us for years to come...
International scenario
Latvia’s first woman PM
In January, Latvia got its first woman Prime Minister, 62-year-old Straujuma. She replaced Valdis Dombrovskis.
Saudi’s first female editor
In February, Saudi Gazette appointed Somayya Jabarti as the first Editor-in-Chief. The Saudi English-language daily newspaper became the first in the Kingdom to appoint a female editor-in-chief.
Paris gets first female mayor
In May, Anne Hidalgo became the first female mayor of Paris, Spanish-born socialist Hidalgo won by a convincing margin.
US Navy’s first female admiral
In July, Michelle J. Howard began her assignment as the U.S. Navy’s first female and first female African-American four-star admiral.
First female Papuan minister
Yohana Susana Yembise was appointed as the first female minister from Indonesia’s most eastern province, Papua.
Indonesia’s First female FM
In October, Indonesia’s new president appointed Retno Marsudi as the country’s first female foreign minister.
Kashmiri woman creates history
In October, woman police officer of Jammu and Kashmir Shakti Devi won the prestigious International Female Police Peacekeeper Award-2014 at 52nd International Association of Women Police Conference, Canada.
1st female veteran in US Senate
In November, Republican Joni Ernst from Iowa became Iowa’s first female U.S. senator and the first female veteran in the history of the Senate.
Congress’ first black Republican woman
In November, Mia Love made history by winning Utah’s 4th District and becoming the first black female Republican elected to US Congress.
Blue Angels’ first female pilot
Katie Higgins became the first female pilot to join the Blue Angels, the United States Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. She is the first Blue Angels female pilot in the organization’s 68 year history.
First woman to command U.S. Navy fleet
Vice Adm. Jan E. Tighe made history with her appointment as head of the U.S. Fleet Cyber Command and the U.S. 10th Fleet, making her the first female commander of a numbered fleet in U.S. Navy history.
First Russian woman in Space
Russia sent a woman into space for the first time in 17 years as part of a joint US-Russian mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Paulette Brown on American Bar Association
Paulette Brown of New Jersey became the first black woman to lead the American Bar Association.
Calhoun County elects first female judge
In November, Calhoun County (USA) elected a circuit court judge, Sarah Lincoln, the first female elected to a judgeship in more than 50 years.
On the home front
Karachi gets second female SHO
In April, Karachi got its second female SHO when police inspector Zaibunnisa was appointed Bahadurabad SHO in district East.
Pakistani woman calligraphist
In July, a US-based Pakistani woman Farkhanda Pervaiz made history by writing the Holy Book of Quran with her hands.
Conquering 7 highest peaks
In August, Samina Baig became the first Pakistani woman to climb Mt Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe. With this summit, the 23-year-old climber completed the challenge of climbing seven of the highest mountains around the world.
Pak-origin woman heads US Islamic Centre
In October Pak origin woman was nominated to head the Islamic Centre in US. On January 1st, 2015, Pakistani-born Isma Chaudhry will become the first female president of the Islamic Centre of Long Island (USA), in Westbury.
Pakistan migrant becomes Australian law maker
In November, Pakistani-born migrant became the first Muslim woman to serve in Australia’s parliament. Mehreen Faruqi, an environmental engineer, was selected by the New South Wales Greens to fill a vacancy in the upper house of the state legislature.
Gilgit’s first ever woman SP
In Gilgit-Baltistan, Tahira Yasub became the first woman DSP (police superintendent) in the region.
First female judge of Sharia court
Pakistan’s national Sharia court, appointed a female judge for the first time in its 33-year history. Ashraf Jehan, who was serving as an additional judge at the high court in Sindh, made history as she took the oath in Karachi.
Dr. Maleeha Lodhi appointed as Pakistan’s Ambassador to UN
Dr. Maleeha Lodhi has been appointed as Pakistan’s Ambassador to United Nations in New York and she will be assuming her responsibilities in February 2015. Dr. Maleeha will be the first woman to represent Pakistan at the United Nations.
International business accolades
First woman leads US Federal Reserve
In January, Janet Yellen was confirmed by the US Senate as the first woman to lead the Federal Reserve.
Powerful Female Entrepreneurs of 2014
Melinda Gates got the 3rd spot on the list of Powerful Female Entrepreneurs of 2014.Since founding the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with her husband, Melinda has pushed for giving in its greatest numbers. With more than $3.4 billion in giving for 2012 and $26 billion in grant commitments since 1998, her work has inspired big donors and global collaboration.
First woman investment bank chief
Saudi Arabia’s National Commercial Bank appointed Sarah al-Suhaimi to head NCB Capital, making her the first woman to lead a top investment bank in the kingdom.
The business front at home
World Economic Forum
Saadia Zahidi a senior director at the World Economic Forum made it to the BBC’s Most Inspirational Women’s list.
A shining example for Chitral
In October, Sayed Gul Kalash, from Kalash valley, Chitral became the first archaeologist from the valley, serving as head of the Bamboret Museum in Chitral
The award goes to...
Iranian Wins ‘Nobel Prize of Maths’
In August, an Iranian-born mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani, a Harvard-educated mathematician and professor at Stanford University in California became the first woman to win a prestigious Fields Medal, widely viewed as the Nobel Prize of mathematics
2014 Seoul Peace Prize
In September, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was selected as the winner of the Seoul Peace Prize for her role in awakening global awareness of human dignity.
Woman of the Year
On October 13, Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights activist was honoured with the Woman of the Year award 2014. Diana Nammi was honoured for protecting the rights of Middle Eastern and North African women.
Indian acid attack victim gets US award
Indian woman Laxmi, a victim of acid attack has been selected by the US for the prestigious International Women of Courage Award.
Our own award winners
Woman Engineer wins US award
In August, Dr. Durdana Habib, senior faculty member at the School of Electrical Engineering, National University of Computer and Emerging Sciences, Islamabad, won the prestigious Grace Hopper ABIE Award for 2014 in the United States.
Activist wins N-peace Award
In November, two female activists Rabia Jameel Baig and Mona Prakash from Pakistan were honoured with N-Peace network award in Thailand.
Malala wins Nobel Peace Prize
Malala Yousafzai along with Kailash Satyarthi, an Indian child rights campaigner, jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize. At the age of 17, Malala is the youngest ever recipient of the prize.
Asma Jehangir gets Right Livelihood Award
Pakistani Supreme Court Bar Association former president Asma Jehangir was awarded 2014 Right Livelihood Award in Stockholm, Sweden. She is the first Pakistani to have won the award.
Pride of Performance Awards
Pakistan’s highest Pride of Performance awards were conferred on women in the following categories: Tamgha-i-Shujaat was awarded to PTI’s Zahra Shahid Hussain, while Sitara-i-Shujaat was conferred upon Samia Noreen, and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz was conferred upon Nijat Bibi, for arts (Hunza embroidery).
First-ever MasterChef Pakistan
Amateur cook, Ammara Noman won the first-ever MasterChef Pakistan - a reality TV show based on the popular global TV franchise.
South Asian literature prize
Kamila Shamsie for ‘A God in Every Stone’ was among the three Pakistani authors who were the nominees for the 2015 DSC Prize for South Asian Literature.
Five Pakistanis listed in BBC’s 100 Women
In October, five Pakistani women made it to BBC’s 100 Women list. These are documentary film-maker and Oscar award winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Internet rights activist Sana Saleem, filmmaker and campaigner Sarah Khan, cartoonist Nigar Nazar and Saadia Zahidi.
Showbiz
Best Actress Oscar
In March, Cate Blanchett won her second Academy Award, taking home the statuette for Best Actress for her brilliant performance as a boozy, fallen socialite in Blue Jasmine.
Most Powerful Actress
In June, Jennifer Lawrence topped the list of The Most Powerful Actresses.
Shakira sets Facebook world record
In July, Guinness World Records confirmed that Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira has set a new social media record after gaining the title for first person to reach 100 million likes on Facebook.
Miss South Africa crowned Miss World
Miss South Africa, 22-year-old Rolene Strauss, was crowned Miss World 2014 in London.
Cruz named ‘sexiest woman alive’
In October, Spanish actress Penelope Cruz was named as the ‘sexiest woman alive’ by Esquire, the men’s lifestyle magazine.
Angelina Jolie was made a Dame
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth made actress Angelina Jolie an honorary Dame in recognition of her campaigning to end sexual violence in war zones and for services to UK foreign policy.
Lady Gaga wins Digital Diamond Award
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) presented Lady Gaga with a prestigious Diamond Award in recognition of ‘Bad Romance’ that surpassed the 10 million threshold counting song sales and streams in Washington.
Sandra Bullock Tops Forbes List
Sandra Bullock topped Forbes’ List of Highest Earning Actresses with $51M.
Miley Cyrus Wins Video of the Year award
Miley Cyrus won the award for video of the year at the MTV Video Music Awards in L.A for her song ‘Wrecking Ball’.
At home...
Pakistani filmmaker wins Emmy
Co-directors Habiba Nosheen and Hilke Schelmann’s documentary film ‘Outlawed in Pakistan’ won the Emmy for ‘Outstanding Research’ under the news and documentary sub-section of the awards.
13th Lux Style awards 2014
At the 13th Lux Style awards 2014, Sanam Saeed won Best TV Actress Satellite for ‘Zindagi Gulzar Hai’. Mehwish Hayat and Samina Peerzada won the Best TV Actress Terrestrial while Aamina Sheikh won the Best Actress award for ‘Seedlings’ and Nabila won the Best Hair and Make-up Artist award.
Humaima - Ambassador for WWF
Acclaimed actress Humaima Malick was officially made the Pakistan Ambassador for one of the biggest environmental organizations in the world, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Salma Hayek’s documentary
Acting icon Salma Hayek unveiled the documentary ‘Humaira: The Game Changer’, which chronicles the life of a Pakistani education advocate Humaira Bachal, at the Women’s Forum Global Meeting in Deauville, France.
Hadiqa wins International Award
Pakistani pop star Hadiqa Kiani won the award titled Best Female Artist of Pakistan at Big Apple Music Awards 2014 (International) in New York.
The sporting greats
91-year-old woman sets marathon record
In June, 91-year-old Harriette Thompson of Charlotte, set a record in the San Diego Rock n Roll Marathon.
Fastest serve in women’s tennis
In July, Sabine Lisicki set a record for the fastest serve in women’s tennis.
World’s Highest-Paid Female Athlete
In August, Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova topped Forbes Magazine’s list of highest-paid female athletes for the 10th consecutive year.
British woman sets world record
In September, a British woman Amy Hughes ran 53 marathons in 53 days, breaking the previous world record of 50 marathons in 50 days.
Phoenix woman sets motorcycle land speed record
In September, 22-year-old Loretta Flores broke the world record in motorcycle land speed at the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials in Utah. She was clocked at more than 160 miles per hour.
Women archery world record
In September, South Korea’s archers set a new world record in the compound women’s team event with 238 points out of a possible 240 at the Asian Games.
First woman to drive Formula One racing
In October, Susie Wolff of UK became the first woman in 22 years to drive a Formula One racing car in an official competitive session for British Grand Prix.
First Asian medal for Iranian women
The Iranian female junior cycling team has created history in their country for winning Bronze in 2014 Asian Cycling Championship in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Mary Kom wins Asian gold
Mary Kom became the first Indian woman boxer to win a gold medal at the Asian Games in South Korea.
European football’s first female manager
France appointed Helena Costa as the first female professional football team manager. She made history by becoming the first female manager to be appointed in the highest two divisions of any professional European league.
Our own sports women
Pakistan cricket team wins Asian gold
Pakistan retained the women’s Twenty20 cricket gold medal at the Asian Games by defeating spirited Bangladesh in a rain-affected final, as Sri Lanka took home the bronze.
Pakistan hosts SAFF Championship
In November, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) hosted South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women Soccer Championship for the very first time in the history of Pakistan.
First Pakistani woman wins WTA point
In November, Ushna Suhail became first ever Pakistani woman to win a Women’s Tennis Association point, as she defeated India’s Sanya Madan in the first round of the qualifying draw in New Delhi ITF $50,000.
Female boxing kicks off on small scale
After 15 years of planning, the Pakistan Boxing Federation was successful in holding their first event for female boxers. Youngsters from the Kalyana Academy became the first female players to lay the foundation for women boxing in the country as they competed at the Pakistan Boxing Federation backed tournament in Karachi.
For whom the bells tolled...
Monica Spear
Telenova actress Monica Spear, also known as former Miss Venezuela, was killed on Jan. 6 along with her ex-husband Henry Thomas Berry after resisting a robbery in Caracas, Venezuela.
First female pilot dies
Jerrie Mock, first female pilot to circle the globe, died in Quincy in October this year.
Noor Jehan’s daughter dies
In May 2014, Zille Huma, the daughter of late legendary singer Madam Noor Jehan, passed away in Lahore.
Anita Ghulam Ali
In August, renowned educationist Prof Anita Ghulam Ali passed away at a private hospital in Karachi. She was 79.
Actress Sana Khan
In March, TV actress and model Sana Khan, died in a road accident in Jamshoro Sindh.
Pashto singer shot dead
Pashto singer Gulnaz alias Muskan was killed in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Miscellaneous
Woman has baby after womb transplant
A 36-year-old Swede has become the world’s first woman to give birth after receiving a womb transplant.
The hottest women
Irish women are among some of the best looking in the world, according to the latest ranking by an international dating website. Females from Ireland jumped into the top ten of the planet’s best-looking nationalities status by the dating website BeautifulPeople.com.
