Nabila Feroz Bhatti

Nabila Feroz Bhatti (Urdu: نبیلہ فیروز بھٹی; born 1967) is a Pakistani human rights defender, educationist, researcher, trainer, and columnist. She has worked with civil society organizations and advocacy networks in Pakistan for over three decades.^[1] Her writings focus on human rights and social justice, mainly for marginalized groups.^[2] She has been published internationally^[3] in several different languages^[4]

Currently, she is a member of the Working Group on Minorities,^[5] established by the National Commission on the Rights of the Child,^[6] and serves on the National Council of the Peoples Commission for Minorities' Rights.^[7][8] Previously, she was a member of the Executive Body of the Child Rights Movement (CRM) in Punjab.^[9][10]

Bhatti is one of four siblings and was born and raised in Sargodha, Pakistan. There, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1986, and a Master's Degree in Economics in 1989 from the University of the Punjab. In 2002, she completed a Master's degree in Rural Development from the University of Sindh. In 2011, she earned a Master's degree in social justice from St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, United States of America.^[11]

Bhatti has worked as a consultant and facilitator on issues related to the education and rights of women and minorities.^{[12][13][14][15]} Her professional engagements include collaboration with national civil society organizations such as Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, National Commission for Justice and Peace, Minorities Rights Commission, Centre for Social Justice, Sanjog, and other advocacy networks. From 2016 to 2021, she served on the Executive Body of the Child Rights Movement (CRM), Punjab,^[16] contributing to policy advocacy and capacity-building initiatives focused on child protection and juvenile justice.^[17]

She has worked closely with members of the judiciary, lawyers, police officials, prison and probation officers, and facilitated capacity-building and sensitization sessions on juvenile justice and child rights. She has also engaged directly with children through children's clubs and Children's Literature Festivals,^[18] where she addressed issues affecting marginalized children and vulnerable youth.^[19] She has conducted orientation sessions on the rights of girls and women through the Pakistan Girl Guides Association in Punjab.

She has been involved in several national-level advocacy initiatives, including the Movement for Removal of the Religion Column from National Identity Card (1992). She has advocated for women's rights, partaking in the Aurat March ^[20] and the Movement for the Restoration of Equal Franchise for Minorities (1999–2001) in Pakistan.^[21] She also participated in advocacy for the enactment related to the establishment of the National Commission for Minorities Rights (2023–2025).^{[22][23][24][25]} She has represented Pakistani civil society at international forums, speaking on issues^[26] related to human rights and social justice.^[27]

Bhatti taught economics at the Government Degree College for Women, Sargodha, from 1996 to 1998. In 2011, she taught social justice at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA.

She has written numerous articles and blogs focusing on the rights of children, religious minorities, women, and labourers.^[28] Her work has appeared in leading print and digital media outlets, including Dawn,^[29] The Express Tribune,^[30] The Friday Times,^[31] Hum Sub,^[32] Naya Daur,^[33][34] and Dünya News.^[35]

She regularly appears in press^[36][37] conferences^[38][39] and media forums^[40][41] as a human rights professional. She contributed as an expert to the Sakhi Saheli series about women's rights issues aired on PAK7 TV.^[42] She is also associated with the Network of Women Journalists for Digital Rights, where she advocates for the protection and rights of violence survivors in the media industry.^{[43][44][45][46][47]}

Bhatti has received multiple awards and recognitions for her contribution to human rights and social justice, including:

• A profile in The Female Factor (2025), a publication highlighting stories of ten Christian women leaders, published by Life for the Guardians Foundation, Hawkinson Newsletter, and St. Cloud State University Chronicle, following her selection as a recipient of the Jacobson Scholar.^[48]
• Social Responsibility Activism Award, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, USA
• Jacobson Peace & Justice Scholarship,^[49] Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation, Minnesota, USA
• P.E.O.^[50] International Peace Scholarship, United States
• Her publication on Education vs. Fanatic Literacy was placed in the Library of Congress,^[51] United States