Pakistan’s leading women from film, fashion, sport and social impact are set to be recognised on a global platform this November, as the Creative Leadership Conference (CLC) Global 100 Global Women Leaders Award 2026 comes to Islamabad.
The awards are presented under the banner of the Creative Leadership Conference, which recognises women whose leadership, achievements and vision have created meaningful impact across communities, industries and global platforms.
Among this year’s honourees is actor Sabeena Farooq, whose career has become one of the most closely followed in Pakistani television and film.
A Media Studies graduate who began acting in 2016, Farooq has built a diverse body of work, including Haya in Tere Bin, Barbeena in Kabuli Pulao and Aliya in Mann Jogi.
Her performance in Kabuli Pulao earned her the Lux Style Award 2025 for Best TV Actress (Critics’ Choice), further establishing her among the country’s acclaimed young performers.
Farooq will share the stage with veteran actor, educator and media professional Simi Raheal, whose career spans nearly five decades across film and television.
A graduate of the National College of Arts, Lahore, Raheal is a recipient of the Fatima Jinnah Medal for Media.
She has also spent more than three decades mentoring emerging performers and contributing to media education in Pakistan and internationally.
The fashion and philanthropy sector will be represented by Seema Aziz, founder of fashion brand Bareeze and the CARE Foundation.
The foundation provides education to more than 285,000 students across over 800 schools in Pakistan.
Through her work as a corporate leader and philanthropist, Aziz has focused on expanding educational opportunities and creating pathways for young people across the country.
Also among the honourees is motorcycle adventurer, filmmaker and content creator Zenith Irfan, who became one of the first Pakistani women to complete a solo long-distance motorcycle journey.
Inspired by her late father’s dream, Irfan’s journey later inspired the 2018 film Motorcycle Girl and attracted international attention from outlets including CNN and BBC.
For more than a decade, she has advocated for women’s mobility and encouraged women to pursue unconventional paths.
Rounding out the list is Pakistani MMA athlete Saria Khan, founder and director of Bahimmat, an initiative focused on self-defence and women’s empowerment.
Khan, the first female MMA athlete and fighter from Azad Jammu and Kashmir, has represented Pakistan at national and international platforms.
Through Bahimmat, she trains children, women and girls in self-defence and confidence-building, with the aim of helping them develop leadership skills and become agents of change in their communities.
Together, the honourees represent a broad range of leadership across Pakistan, spanning entertainment, education, entrepreneurship, sport and social impact.
Through the CLC Global network, honourees are connected with policymakers, diplomats, entrepreneurs and changemakers from around the world, creating opportunities for collaboration beyond the awards ceremony.
The CLC Global 100 Global Women Leaders Award 2026 ceremony is scheduled to take place in Islamabad this November.
