I have been involved in social services since my college days and played an instrumental role in providing non-formal education to many disadvantaged children. I conceived that shackles of pre-determined notions about their disadvantaged status had literally shattered even any slightest thought on their own abilities.
My passion about reading books had helped me to construct short stories that I normally recited in the gatherings of children, only to enhance their self-esteem and confidence. Success of some of those children later in life had further strengthened my philosophy that motivation is a key to emancipate the sufferings of disadvantaged communities.
I am a researcher, writer, and development practitioner. I work with national and international organizations and UN agencies to meet my financial needs while on the other side, I work voluntarily with a number of cash-strapped welfare and development-focused organizations – especially those directly working with marginalized communities, to build individual and institutional capacity.
I am an ardent human rights activist and a passionate advocate against discrimination and marginalization of women and children. I have been extensively writing on issues related to women and children in Pakistan and South Asia as an effort to raise awareness about their issues.
My work has been widely published in journals, newspapers and websites of human right-focused organizations, including:
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Infochange News and Features Network (INFN), Scoop Independent News - New Zealand, Initiator Human Development Foudnation.
I am the Executive Director of Social Research & Development Organization (SRDO) - a member of the Alliance for a Safe World.
Follow Amir on Twitter: @AmirMurtaza1
Articles by Amir Murtaza on the Safe World website
- People with Disabilities - Overcoming Social and Political Exclusion
- Promoting Children's Safety & Rights in Pakistan
- Protecting Vulnerable Children in Sindh Province, Pakistan
- Pakistan: Survey Reveals Alarming Attitudes Towards Domestic Abuse
- PAKISTAN: Development Challenges for Children Amid Growing Terrorism | AHRC
- Financial stress is another cause of violence against women
- Children’s Right to Play Should Be Defended
- Pakistan: Child labour - Who are the ultimate losers? | AHRC
- Pakistan – Committed to Eradicate Polio
- Amir Murtaza: Information technology essential for girls' education in rural Pakistan
- Relief efforts underway after deadly earthquake
- Helplines challenge population growth in Pakistan
- PAKISTAN: Reduce Sexual Violence Against Women & Children | AHRC
- Pakistan: Child Safety Concerns in Disaster Situations
Other Articles by Amir Murtaza
- Food prices inflation intensifies risk of increase in child labour, violence against women - Infochange News and Features Network. May 2011
- Harassment of Women in Public Transport necessitates for women-only transport - Infochange News and Features Network, May 2011
- Small hands, big work: Girl domestic servants in Karachi - Ethics in Action, 2009
- Silent Shrieks: A Situational Analysis of Violence Against Street Children in Karachi - with Mr. Rana Asif Habib - Initiator Human Development Foundation (IHDF), 2008
- Child malnutrition should be tackled by coordinated efforts - Scoop Independent News, New Zealand, August 2013
- PAKISTAN: Increasing vulnerability of women and children in Pakistan, December 2012
- Rights of Children- 6m disable children need not to be deprived of education, September 2011