Pakistan's Powerhouses: The Women Who Owned 2025

ISLAMABAD: As 2025 comes to a close, Pakistani women across sports, culture, exploration, and legal activism have made their mark on national and international stages. From cricket grounds and mountain summits to pageants and courtrooms, these trailblazers have expanded opportunities and challenged conventional boundaries.

Sidra Amin’s cricket milestones

Official Instagram account/ @sidraamin31

Opening batter Sidra Amin, 33, emerged as one of Pakistan’s most consistent performers during the 2025 ICC Women’s ODI World Cup. The Lahore-born cricketer became the first Pakistani to score back-to-back ODI centuries, a landmark in Pakistan’s cricket history.

According to the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) official match report, Amin also recorded the fastest ODI century by a Pakistani woman, reaching 100 runs in just 97 balls. With more than 150 international appearances and 2,221 ODI runs, including six centuries, she remained a linchpin of Pakistan’s batting line-up. Gaddafi Stadium has become her personal stronghold, where she has scored three centuries at an average exceeding 120. Since debuting in 2011, Amin has helped elevate Pakistan women’s cricket to new heights.

Naila Kiani’s unprecedented climbing record

Picture credits: Radio Pakistan

Mountaineer Naila Kiani continued her extraordinary ascent in 2025, having summited 12 of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 metres.

Imagine Nepal, the expedition organizer, confirmed that Kiani scaled Kangchenjunga (8,586m), the world’s third-highest mountain, in May, staying on course to become the first Pakistani woman to complete all fourteen eight-thousanders.

A former aerospace engineer and a mother of two, Kiani also became the fastest Pakistani to summit 11 eight-thousanders in under three years, Alpine Club of Pakistan reported. The Embassy of Pakistan in Turkiye also congratulated her on this achievement. 

Beyond her personal achievements, she has championed reforms in Pakistan’s mountaineering sector, helping reduce helicopter rescue costs and exposing exploitative commercial practices. According to Radio Pakistan, Naila Kiani remains the only female athlete to currently hold the Sitara-i-Imtiaz. 

Roma Riaz at Miss Universe

Official Instagram account/ @romariaz_official

Roma Riaz, 25, a British-Pakistani from Lahore, represented Pakistan at Miss Universe 2025 in Thailand after winning the Miss Universe Pakistan title earlier in the year. Her participation returned Pakistan to the global pageant stage and sparked conversations about beauty standards, colorism, and representation.

Raised between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom, Riaz is a graduate of Manchester Metropolitan University and has worked in merchandising and international fashion. Her advocacy focuses on girls’ education and challenging narrow definitions of beauty. In response to criticism over her skin tone and background, she posted an Instagram reel condemning colorist and body-shaming remarks, asserting that diversity should be celebrated, not policed.

Mahnoor Omer and discriminatory taxation

Official Instagram account/ @learningwithmahnoor

Lawyer and gender rights advocate Mahnoor Omer, 25, gained national as well as international attention in 2025 for challenging Pakistan’s taxation of sanitary products. A former Supreme Court law clerk, Omer is pursuing postgraduate studies in Gender, Peace, and Security at the London School of Economics. She has also served as a Gender Consultant with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, co-authoring Pakistan’s first UNODC Gender Equality Strategy.

Her constitutional petition contends that menstrual hygiene products, essential for women’s health, are unfairly taxed, violating constitutional guarantees of equality and dignity. 

Natasha Noorani’s cultural innovation

Official Instagram account/ @natashanoorani

Emerging artist Natasha Noorani has established herself as one of Pakistan’s most innovative contemporary musicians. Her debut album Ronaq, released in 2023, continued to influence the country’s music scene throughout 2025. Blending R&B, pop, electronic music, and neo-soul, the album reflects both creativity and cultural depth.

Noorani coined the term “Lolly-Pop” to describe her approach, which merges retro subcontinental sounds from the 1940s–1980s with modern electronic production. Produced by Talal Qureshi and Abdullah Siddiqui, Ronaq features tracks including “Choro,” “Thandi,” and “Faltu Pyar,” a collaboration with Hasan Raheem. Her work continues to bridge Pakistan’s musical past with its contemporary soundscape.

While their paths differed, a common thread ran through their stories; questioning long-standing norms and opening space for wider participation. 

As Pakistan moves into 2026, the impact of these women’s work continues to shape public debate and offers a broader understanding of what achievement and leadership look like for Pakistani women today.