Amna Zafar is a 26-year-old Pakistani woman from Islamabad who works in the educational sector of a nonprofit organization, providing access to quality education in remote regions of northern Pakistan. She’s the mastermind behind the Instagram account called “Travel Girls Pakistan” that aims to inspire Pakistani women of all ages to travel – not only within their beautiful country but throughout the entire world.
Amna believes that traveling helps you to get to know yourself, stimulates creative and original ideas and enables inner peace.
When asked about what inspired her to create such a page, she told MangoBaaz:
“I made this page because I did not find a single page that celebrated or appreciated female [travelers] in a dedicated manner. Most of the travel pages are centered around male explorers or male photographers. I thought, there must [definitely] be girls like me looking for inspiration to travel or someone to relate to. This is where it began.”
The response to her page has been amazing and her Instagram feed is filled with beautiful pictures of female Pakistani travelers. Her page has received much appreciation with many women wanting to contribute.
Amna plans to turn this page into a platform and resource for women in Pakistan of all ages who want to travel within or outside of Pakistan. She wants all of her followers to help and guide one another and be inclusive. She also hopes to collaborate with fellow female photographers and travelers to help her get out there.
Discussing the ideology behind the account further, Amna had the following to say:
“Tourism is being promoted by the current government and it is vital to create a space in the travel domain for girls (from policy level to grassroots level). We need to have a sufficient user base to make this happen. I am determined to make an effort starting from brainstorming sessions to execute a well-formulated idea.”
It is extremely important for Pakistani girls to have women like Amna to look up to and to motivate them. Our women must be convinced that it is possible to travel independently as a female – whether that be in Pakistan or somewhere else in the world.
Amna hopes that this account can work as a stepping stone to help everyone see the potential and importance for female travelers in Pakistan. I personally hope Amna’s efforts help motivate and inspire all of the girls out there who wish to travel.
What did you think of her page? Tell us about your favorite travel location in the comments.
We Asked Pakistani Women About Their Travel Horror Stories And They Did Not Disappoint
Ladies, Here’s Why You Definitely Need To Travel Alone At Least Once Before You Die
cover image source: @travelgirls.pk / Instagram