Jan 22, 2022

Perween Rahman's 65th Birthday

This Doodle’s Key Themes

Today’s Doodle celebrates the 65th birthday of Pakistani social activist, architect, and urban planner Perween Rahman, who devoted her life to uplifting marginalized communities.

Perween Rahman was born on this day in 1957 in Dhaka, Pakistan (now Bangladesh). Following the partition of Pakistan in 1971, she relocated with her family to Karachi. Rahman studied architecture and went on to earn her master’s in housing, building, and urban planning from the Institute of Housing Studies in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Rahman’s personal experiences of displacement inspired her to pursue a career advocating for housing security, and in 1982, she began working as an unpaid intern for the Orangi Pilot Project (OPP). This organization focused on sanitation, housing, and healthcare in Orangi Town on the outskirts of Karachi, one of the world’s largest informal settlements. Here, many residents could not rely on legal protection to maintain rights to their homes and were frequently evicted for construction projects. From meticulously documenting property boundaries and ownership information to spearheading education and community engagement initiatives, Rahman’s work soon became integral in protecting the region’s precarious community.

Rahman’s dedication to helping Orangi Town’s 1.5 million residents protect their land rights led to her appointment as head of the OPP’s housing and sanitation programs. With Rahman at the helm, the OPP partnered with the government to set up 650 private schools, 700 medical clinics, and 40,000 small businesses. She has been given numerous accolades for her achievements, notably the Sitara-e-Shujaat (Order of Bravery award), and her efforts have played an instrumental role in defining how Pakistani settlements are developed today.

Special thanks to the family of Perween Rahman for their partnership on this project. Below, Perween Rahman’s sister Aquila Ismail, and brothers Khurshed Khair and Anis Khair reflect on their sister’s life and legacy:

Perween, the youngest of us four siblings was the touchstone of our family. A fierce believer and upholder of the rights of humanity and nature - the elderly, the youth, the differently abled, man, woman, the transgendered, people of all sexual orientations, trees and flowers, birds and bees, moths and butterflies, cats and dogs. Most compassionate, highly spirited, feisty. Devoted daughter, faithful friend, soul sister and a combination of it all to her two nieces.

Perween filled our lives with light and laughter. It was hard not to be affected by her spirit. She lived life with passion, doing things that made her happy. From roaming the bazaars of Bhitshah and Uch Sharif delighting at the song of the blind singer in the compound of Sachal Sarmast’s mausoleum to immersing herself in Sufi thought and tradition; from being enamored by people’s creativity—the beautiful handicrafts, jewelry and art in every form - to being deeply saddened by people’s ability to be destructive and unjust. She was inspired by life and everything it encircles.

She enriched our lives, and the lives of many others with her beliefs about the wondrous natural universe and her tireless belief in the goodness in every living being.

We are deeply touched by this gesture from Google. It is life-affirming to see that Perween’s contribution to Pakistan, the values she stood for and her legacy are being celebrated today. May we all strive to be just in our actions and continue to find inspiration in life itself, like our beloved Perween.