Mahnoor is one of the intellectually gifted contestants in SBS quiz show Child Genius. Here is the story of how her grandmother came from a tribal feudal village in Pakistan and fought to give her daughter equal education opportunities, as told by her mother Anmoila.
My mother Masuda Saif was an orphan. She was one of ten siblings when her mum passed. Her father was an army colonel who was very educated. She was a trendsetter and very fashionable. She was rebellious and known in our tribe as an Iron Lady.
My mother went to high school and was married at 18. She wanted us to excel in life and have the opportunities in life she did not have. She said: “I don’t want my daughters to be married when they hit puberty.”
The trend for girls in the village was when you hit 13, you get your daughters married. You then take care of your home and kids. They don’t need to study or have a career. My mum said, “No. I will give my daughters equal rights. This is what Islam is.” She wanted us to excel in life and have the opportunities in life she did not.
I come from a tribal feudal village in Pakistan called Shergarh in northern Pakistan. My great grandfather Sardar Imam Bakhsh Khan Qaisran owned the whole land. The whole village was his. He had three wives. It operates on a feudal system ruled by a jirga (tribal council). There is no police or law. Whatever the chief decides - that’s it.
Anmoila's mother Masuda Saif. Source: Supplied
My father was a tribal chief. He had two wives. For him daughters going out and studying and earning money is disrespect. Women should sit inside the home and be behind the veil. Women were not given equal rights – whether it comes to marriage, education or career. It’s an environment where we were protected all the time from the outside. Most of the time, women of our class were tutored in the home environment.
We spent time in the city of Lahore where my father worked for Pakistan Railways. In Lahore, mother would come to our parent-teacher meetings and tell us to do debating and acting, telling my father: “All the kids do it. It’s alright”. Many times she would make us hide things and say, “You can do this, but don’t tell your father”. In the end she even won my father’s heart, who eventually said “I take pride in their achievements and my daughters should be like my sons”. But it was a long struggle.
Masuda Saif with her granddaughters Mahnoor, Zoha and Aleezah. Source: Supplied
My mum was very inspirational. We were six siblings of three sisters and three brothers. She said my daughters will have equal opportunities and the same education as my sons. We were the first ones to be educated, to have equal rights and to graduate. I’ll be the first one in my tribe to have a PhD (at Melbourne’s Victoria University in Business/IT). My older sister has a Masters in English and my younger sister is sitting the bar in London.
My mum fought for us. She took a stand for us. My mum knew if her daughters were not given equal opportunities she will be suppressed.
I married my husband Shahid when I was 23. In 2000 we moved to Adelaide. My three daughters Zoha, 13, Mahnoor, 11, and Aleezah 9 were born there. Zoha means morning light and Mahnoor means moonlight.
Child Genius contestant Mahnoor and her mother Anmoila. Source: Supplied
My husband was very liberal. He wanted me to be independent. After his accident (Shahid was killed after being hit by a driver crossing the street near his home in 2011) it became a really sad part of my life. It was hurdle for me to move on. I decided to move to Melbourne.
Being a single mum and widow and striving for my three daughters has been an amazing journey for me. If you tell someone in Pakistan they can’t think of it. In my country they think a woman without a man is fragile. I think women are emotionally more strong than men. We are not fragile.
When my brother comes to visit me with his five kids and two governesses he says, “You should come back to Pakistan. You’ll have pajeros and servants. What are you doing here washing dishes and driving on your own and living this hard life?” I say – I have my independence I can breathe. I can do whatever I want. I won’t be judged.
I support my daughters to choose their careers. I will direct them but will never impose my decision on them. I want them to reach their full potential.
Anmoila's daughter Mahnoor feature in the six-part SBS series Child Genius hosted by Dr Susan Carland. You can stream them anytime at .
