Maria Wazir: Squashing the Taliban | The Economist
Maria Wazir grew up in a Taliban stronghold. Girls were not allowed to play...
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Maria Toorpakai Wazir BiographyMaria Toorpakai Wazir hails from South Waziristan, along the Pakistan Afghanistan border. This area is known as the most dangerous place on earth and the birthplace of the Taliban. Due to the centuries old ultra-conservative norms, girls/women have been suffering from the worst of human rights’ conditions. Girls here are bought & sold into marriages at young ages & have no right to decide for their lives but despite these disadvantages, Maria became Pakistan’s top female squash player and turned professional in 2006.
She started her journey of rebellion for equal rights at age 4 ⅕ by burning her girly clothes/dresses and cut her hair. She is trailblazer in her native Pakistan, she fought against gender barricades inflicted on her by the so called Islamic & cultural beliefs and posed as a boy using the name Genghis Khan to compete in sports in her younger days. Due to her audacious and outspoken nature, she got death threats from the Taliban in 2007 & so she locked herself in her house for 3 years.
She continued to train in her bedroom while sending out thousands of emails around the world to sports academies in order to train & compete with peace of mind. She escaped her country in 2011 to Canada. Her passion for Sports and her quest for equality & liberty continued. Athletic competition gave Maria her platform to learn about the world and channel her abundant energy in a positive direction, and she hopes to inspire young women to seek empowerment through athletic competition, particularly in conservative cultures through community engagement and mentorship.
Coming from violent & war affected area, she truly believes in the power of sports to combat negativity, extremism and violence. She uses sport as the medium for change.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Maria Toorpakai Wazir and other top speakers and celebrities.
-Maria Wazir: Squashing the Taliban | The Economist
MARIA TOORPAKAI WAZIR | HIDING FROM THE TALIBAN IN PLAIN SIGHT | 2017
Wilma Rudolph Courage Acceptance - Maria Toorpakai Wazir
Maria Toorpakai Wazir in conversation with GIllian Tett
Squashing Extremism: Maria Toorpakai Wazir at TEDxTeen
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Maria Toorpakai Wazir hails from South Waziristan, along the Pakistan Afghanistan border. This area is known as the most dangerous place on earth and the birthplace of the Taliban. Due to the centuries old ultra-conservative norms, girls/women have been suffering from the worst of human rights’ conditions. Girls here are bought & sold into marriages at young ages & have no right to decide for their lives but despite these disadvantages, Maria became Pakistan’s top female squash player and turned professional in 2006.
She started her journey of rebellion for equal rights at age 4 ⅕ by burning her girly clothes/dresses and cut her hair. She is trailblazer in her native Pakistan, she fought against gender barricades inflicted on her by the so called Islamic & cultural beliefs and posed as a boy using the name Genghis Khan to compete in sports in her younger days. Due to her audacious and outspoken nature, she got death threats from the Taliban in 2007 & so she locked herself in her house for 3 years.
She continued to train in her bedroom while sending out thousands of emails around the world to sports academies in order to train & compete with peace of mind. She escaped her country in 2011 to Canada. Her passion for Sports and her quest for equality & liberty continued. Athletic competition gave Maria her platform to learn about the world and channel her abundant energy in a positive direction, and she hopes to inspire young women to seek empowerment through athletic competition, particularly in conservative cultures through community engagement and mentorship.
Coming from violent & war affected area, she truly believes in the power of sports to combat negativity, extremism and violence. She uses sport as the medium for change.
Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Maria Toorpakai Wazir and other top speakers and celebrities.
Maria Toorpakai Wazir is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Maria Toorpakai Wazir for your event is available upon request. Maria Toorpakai Wazir generally travels from and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Aly Raisman, Dominique Dawes, Sarah Reinertsen, Sydney Leroux and Natasha Mwansa. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Maria Toorpakai Wazir for an upcoming live or virtual event.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.
All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.
If you are the talent, and wish to request removal from this catalog or report an issue with your profile, please click here.
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