Interview With Ms. Zoha Siddiqui

Text of the Full Interview Below:

Zoha Siddiqui turned inspiration into impact by stepping up and allowing her passion for justice and educational equality to guide her.

Zoha’s biggest inspirations were her mother and grandmother, as well as Malala Yousafzai. She admired Yousafzai’s work all throughout elementary and middle school and always looked up to her.

During Zoha’s sophomore year of high school, she met Hannah, and they decided to create libraries. The “HER” libraries were a simple solution to a complex problem in bridging the gender education gap, which they were both deeply invested in. Her school, Sidwell Friends, supported her with financial assistance  throughout this project. Both the students and the institution spread awareness of the cause.

They decided to build the first of the “HER” libraries in Pakistan, given the country’s expansive gender education gap. The Pakistani government provided support through the Pakistani Air Force and Army, embassies, and local politicians.

Zoha was later inspired to pursue a career in human rights through a combination of nature and nurture. Specifically, she aims to pursue a career in international human rights law. She was attracted to law because she appreciated that a sense of framework to create change, in the form of the law itself, already exists. However, she added that there needs to be a greater implementation of the law. She cites that this greater implementation would elicit positive effects around the world.

Having accomplished so much already at only 24 years old and with much more to come , Zoha illustrates how it is never too early to make a positive change in the world.