No challenge too high for Wasfia

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

WOMEN, teenagers in particular, must emulate the achievements of Wasfia Nazreen, 34, a Bangladishi mountaineer, activist and educator who has climbed the highest peaks of the seven continents.

She is the first Bangladeshi, and the only Bengali to do so.

On reaching the summit of Mount Everest, Wasfia, then 29, using a satellite phone, triumphantly cried out to her mum in Bangladesh that “she has walked to the top of the world”.

She dedicated her Everest climb to the women of Bangladesh.

“We achieved freedom 41 years ago, but our women are yet to enjoy freedom.”

She dedicated her treks to the tops of Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Denali (North America), Mount Elbrus (Europe), Aconcagua (South America), Carstensz Pyramid (Australasia), Vinson (Antarctica) and Everest (Asia) to the women of Bangladesh, in particular.

She says the struggle on the mountain was the struggle of women in society.

Wasfia’s accomplishment was fraught with obstacles.

Her parents’ divorce made her homeless at a young age.

The trauma and depression that followed gave her the strength and willpower to bounce back and accept challenges for self-reflection, learning and growth.

Brought up by her aunt in Dhaka, she won a scholarship to study in Georgia, the United States.

At college, she received a grant to study how women were using art as therapy.

She travelled to the borders of India and Tibet, working with women and refugees who used art therapy to cope with trauma.

Today, Wasfia uses sports diplomacy to raise awareness about sustainability, indigenous culture and women’s rights.

Her pursuit of climbing has become a worldwide message of celebration and hope for women in her country and beyond.

She has set up a foundation called Ösel to offer outdoor education and mindfulness-training programmes for adolescent girls.

Her accomplishments have made every Asian proud. She stands as a monument of strength and inspiration for women.