By Amna Nawaz, NBC News
September 10, 2012, 6:37 am
NBCNews.com
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Khalida Brohi's new life began when another girl's life ended.
Born and raised in Pakistan's remote, conservative province of Balochistan, Brohi was 16 years old when thecommunity's traditions collided with her own personal beliefs.
"I found out about a girl who was murdered in the name of honor," she recalls. "I knew her and why she was
killed. She wanted to marry someone she liked and she was killed just for that. When I found out about this girl, Iknew that was the turning point in my life."
While still a teenager, Brohi founded Sughar Women's Program, a nonprofit organization with the mission of
educating women about their basic rights. In many conservative communities across Pakistan, a woman's world extends only so far as the walls of her home. Their social interactions are restricted to family members andopportunities are defined by husbands, fathers and elder brothers.
But training and micro-loans provided by Brohi's group have resulted in CDs, books and embroidered handbags
the women produce being sold across the country as well as at a flagship Sughar store in Karachi.
Now 23, Brohi is somewhat of a veteran in her field, and she's not alone.
In Pakistan's largest city, 'Old Glory' is flammable and profitable
All over Pakistan, where the majority of the 180-million-strong population is under the age of 30, members of
Brohi's generation are striking out on their own to work toward change in their country, at an age when most are
still finding their footing in life.
These social innovators, "change-makers" and "new radicals," as they've been called, represent an increasingly
influential segment of civil society, in a country where the decision-making power has always been confined to
limited circles.
'Demographic disaster'
Born, raised, and educated in Pakistan, but increasingly connected to the rest of the world through affordable
telecommunications and readily-accessible social networks, many members of this generation are flexing their
muscle in unprecedented ways when it comes to shaping Pakistan's future. (Addie D.)
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