Nadia Ali Accepts Aurat Foundation's Emmeline Pankhurst Award in Manchester

On Friday 9 October 2026, Aurat Foundation Pakistan marked its 40th anniversary with a celebration at the 422 Community Hub on Stockport Road, Manchester. The evening was chaired by senior Labour Party parliamentarian Afzal Khan MP. At the heart of the evening was a special honour. Aurat Foundation posthumously conferred the Pioneer of Women's Political Emancipation Award upon Emmeline Pankhurst, in recognition of her fearless and determined fight for women's right to vote in Britain in the early 20th century. Born in Manchester, Emmeline founded the Women's Social and Political Union at her home in the city. The movement she led won a historic milestone in 1918, when some women were given the vote for the first time, and in 1928 women finally won the right to vote on equal terms with men. The award was received by Nadia Ali, Chair of GM4Women2028, a dynamic coalition of women from diverse organisations and networks across Greater Manchester who work alongside a wide range of partners and organisations to amplify their collective impact in tackling gender inequalities. GM4Women2028 was founded in 2018 by Emmeline Pankhurst's great-granddaughter, Helen Pankhurst. The honorary award was presented to Nadia Ali by Afzal Khan MP and Naeem Mirza of Aurat Foundation, and it stands as recognition of the work GM4Women2028 does to carry Emmeline's legacy forward. It was an honour to be part of the ceremony and to see and hear about the tremendous work that Aurat Foundation is amplifying in Pakistan and the UK. Women have come a long way since Emmeline's day, but there is still a great deal of work to be done. For Nadia and GM4Women2028, that work continues every day: making sure women of every background have equal access to safety and power. Congratulations to Nadia Ali and the GM4Women2028 team, and to Aurat Foundation.