Ms. Sahar Gul is Director Benazir Bhutto (SMBB) Chair, a research and development think tank at University of Karachi, Sindh. She is twice Masters (in Philosophy from Pakistan, & Anthropology of Development from the UK) with 18-year long experience of working as an academician, researcher relief/aid worker and development consultant. Her academic, intellectual and research interests encompass a wide range of areas including pure Literature, Philosophy, Anthropology, Gender, Political Feminism, Islam, Radical Religious Politics in South Asia and Cosmopolitan Nationalism in Post-Colonial Societies—the latter is her PhD research.
Besides teaching at two universities and several institutions of Pakistan, she has experience of working as social development consultant and Evaluator with reputed national/international relief/social development organization including Oxfam GB, Terre Des Hommes, Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC), Concern Worldwide, ActionAid Pakistan, Plan International, World Vision, Save the Children, and World-Wide Fund, etc. She has also worked in conflict-affected areas of Pakistan—conducted a number research studies on Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
She has hosted many talk shows for television. Besides that, she has written a novel on Buddhism and its Philosophy. She also has completed a dialogue on Greek Philosophy, both books are under process of printing. Apart from English, she knows six Eastern languages including Arabic and Persian.
Description of Duties
Benazir Bhutto (SMBB) Chair, University of Karachi is an academic, research/ think tank that promotes the vision and mission of SMBB vis-à-vis Democracy, Regional Peace/Policy and Reconciliation. Initiated three Program:
I. “Gender Empowerment & Justice (GEJ)
II. “Prospects of the New Social Contract in Pakistan (PNSCP)”,
III. “Envisaging Universal Reconciliation among States (EURaS)”
RECENT PAST WORK
Gender Advisor, USAID-CHEMONICs joint study: Need Assessment of Northern Sindh with the lens of GBV and Extremism- March-April 2015
National Consultant: Mid-Term Review- (Feb-Mar 2013) Pan Pakistan’s Child-Centred Disaster Risk Management (CCDRM) programme, implemented in South Punjab and Southern Sindh.
Job Responsibility: Conducting review and Writing Report jointly with the team
Lead Researcher: “Transsexuals and mainstream society, Centre for Peace and Civil Society, and Regional Academy for Research and Renaissance (RARe) Sep-Dec 2012
Jointly Funded by: National Endowment for Democracy and Local Philanthropists
Project Title “Benazir Bhutto Democracy Fellowship Program” for young researchers, Hyderabad, Pakistan.
Job Responsibility: Supervising Research
Gender Specialist Sindh- Management Systems International (MSI-it’s a subsidiary of Coffey International LTD.) Project, Funded by the USAID- June- August 2012
Project Title: Pakistan Extended Regional Stabilization Initiative (PERSI) A Gender Analysis.
Job Responsibility: Gender Specialist Sindh (in and independent monitoring and evaluation project, in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa, South Punjab, Northern Sindh and Karachi in Southern Sindh Pakistan)
National Consultant: Evaluation of DEC-funded in Sindh (June 10 to 20, 2012)
Evaluation of relief organizations funded by DEC in DRR Project.
Job Responsibility: Field Visit in Sindh, Pakistan; conduct evaluation & Writing Report jointly with the team
National Consultant: Mid-Term Review of Humanitarian Assistance Program (HAP) Terre Des Hommes (TDH) (April-May 2012)
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Writing Report
International Consultant: End of Project Evaluation ACT Alliance (Feb-March 2012)
Evaluation of in DRR Projects implemented in North of Pakistan and Sindh
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits Sindh; Khyber Pakhtunkhwa); Writing Report
National Consultant: End of Project Evaluation Action Aid Pakistan (Dec 2011)
Project Title: --“ActionAid Pakistan’s Evaluation of Emergency Response Programme”
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits Sindh,South Punjab); Writing Report
National Research Coordinator (Full-time): National Commission on the Status of Women 2009-2010 (Funded by the Asia Foundation (TAF)
Project title: (It was a program and I was heading research department)
Job Responsibility:
National Program Management (Research); Designing, implementing and monitoring research projects at national level; Developing case studies (on health of women and children especially) and Report Writing
National Consultant: End of Project Evaluation SRHR-Oxfam Novib (hired by Dr Jennifer Bennet) Sep-Nov 2011
Project: “Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for Adolescents (SRHR): Innovation to incorporate into Rural Development Programme” in Punjab and Sindh, Pakistan
Job Responsibility: Field visits to Ghazi Pur, Mithi; conducting evaluation; writing qualitative report.
International Consultant: End of Project Evaluation Concern Pakistan, May 2011
Project title: Concern Pakistan’s Emergency Response to 2010 Floods
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits in South Sindh, Pakistan) and Writing Report
International Consultant: Conducted Real Time Evaluation for DEC-funded 13 INGOs working in four provinces of Pakistan, in Nov-Dec 2010 in Sindh Province
Project title: Real Time Evaluation of DEC-Funded Response.
Job Responsibility: Conducting Evaluation (field visits in Sindh, Pakistan) and Writing Report jointly
Consultant and Research writer- World Wide Fund (WWF) 2008-2009 (Published in 2010)
Project- “Traditional Knowledge of Indus Eco-Region” (Focused location Sindh, Pakistan)
Job Responsibility: Conducting Research and Writing Report (Publication)
Consultant Pakistan- European Union Election Observation Mission (2008 Elections of Pakistan)
Project title: Election Observation Mission
Job Responsibility: Assisting EU’s election observation team working in Sindh province; Translating key content of local newspapers, discussing local political matters etc.