An interview with Ms. Pakistan World Sapna Jawid Piracha

Born in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan but raised in the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad Sapna Jawid Piracha, has been appointed as the new Ms. Pakistan World. Piracha prides herself in being a social entrepreneur, a martial artist, and a world traveler as well as is working towards her charity. Being an academic, Piracha received her Bachelors in Robotics & Automation Engineering from Air University, a civilian research university established under the Pakistan Air force Education command. She completed her Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Big Data from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth USA, and graduated as a Valedictorian.

When asked how she feels about her new title, Piracha said, “As Ms. Pakistan World 2021, I take pride in my Pakistani roots and identity. It has made me who I am today and although we have many battles to fight against misogyny and patriarchy as a collective society. We are a young and resourceful nation of resilient people and there is no better time to be alive than now. There is a shift coming in Pakistan and I am proud to be playing my part in it.” 

In regards to contributing to Pakistan, Piracha said, “My biggest contribution will be empowering young girls and women in STEM education (Science, Technology, Education & Mathematics), Aviation and Martial Arts through my social start-up. I am myself a STEM student/practitioner, martial artist, and aviator in training and through community leadership, I feel grateful to have recognized the responsibility that now lies on my shoulder to give back. I have a steadfast belief that giving visibility and access to women in sciences, technology, and athletics will propel our nation forward. I recently left my full-time career in higher Ed as an Assistant Director to build ‘Sapna Foundation’ www.sapna-foundation.org, an organization with two domains of service– Karate education for street kids- as a way to expose them to a life outside of streets and channel their trauma and energy into physical training that builds character and mental tenacity.” 

Sonia Ahmed, President of Ms. Pakistan World, stated, “We are excited to have Sapna as Ms. Pakistan World, because of her strong academic background and the charity work that she is dedicating her life to. We as an organization will be active with the Sapna Foundation and would love to contribute as much as we can. We want to see many girls get inspired by Sapna Piracha as Ms. Pakistan World as well as through her foundation. This is a very exciting time for us as we are witnessing a beauty queen that inspires women over 29 years, as well as witnessing a beauty queen lay the foundation of a charity that relates to sports in Pakistan.”

Piracha also spoke about her new role as Ms. Pakistan World, “This title represents the character, contribution, and community. Through the Ms. Pakistan World title, I want to advocate for women in education and athletics and create a community of trailblazing women who believe in themselves and in their potential.”