Ayesha Shahid

Law Lecturer

Qualifications

PhD (Warwick)
PG Cert (Hull)
LLM (Pakistan)

Diploma in Teaching Human Rights Law (USA)
LLB (Pakistan)
BA (Pakistan)

Prior to joining Brunel, Dr. Ayesha Shahid was Lecturer in Law at University of Hull from 2008-2011. She has also held full-time and part-time lectureships at Faculty of Law, University of Peshawar, Pakistan and University of Warwick, UK respectively. Her teaching and research interests are in the areas of Islamic Law, Public Law, Family Law, Gender and the Law and International Human Rights Law. Her monograph titled “Silent Voices, Untold Stories Women Domestic Workers and their Struggle for Empowerment” has been published by the Oxford University Press. It is a socio- legal study about law, empowerment and access to justice for women domestic workers in Pakistan. Her research articles have been published in renowned journals and she has carried out a number of research projects for Asia Foundation, International Labour Organisation, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and Higher Education Commission, Pakistan. Ayesha is also a recipient of the prestigious Warwick Postgraduate Research Fellowship Award in 2002 and International Research Fellowship award by the Center for Human Rights, Columbia University in 2000 and 2002. She has also received a Postgraduate Diploma in teaching ‘Human Rights Law’ from Columbia University, USA in 2000.

Assistant Coordinator NSS and Editor BLS Newsletter

Teaching

International Human Rights Law and Islam
International Minority Rights
Regional Protection of Human Rights

Research Interests

• Islamic Family Law
• International Human Rights Law
• Gender and the Law (with particular focus on women workers’ rights in the informal employment sector).

External Activities

• External Reviewer for monograph proposals submitted to the Cambridge University Press. 2011
• Researcher “Islamic law Curriculum Development and Text Book Project” UKCLE 2007-2010.
• Invited by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan to design curriculum and write a monograph on ‘International Human Rights Law’ for undergraduate Pakistan Studies, Programme. 2001-2002.
• Research Leader for Asia Foundation and National Reconstruction Bureau
• Research Project “Strengthening Institutional Capacity of the Judiciary under Local Government Plan” .2001
• External Collaborator for International Labour Organization project. “Promotion of Women’s Human Rights: Pakistan’s Situational Analysis’. 2000
• 1997: Researcher, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.
• Coordinator, Human Rights Studies Centre, Faculty of Law, University of Peshawar, Pakistan. 1998-2000
• Invited by the Centre for Human Rights Centre, Columbia University as Research Fellow in 2002.
• Invited by the Women’s Law Institute, University of Oslo, Norway to deliver lectures on Women’s Law Masters programme in 2001.
• Fellowship awarded to participate in Diploma Programme in “Teaching Human Rights Law” Center for Human Rights, Columbia University. 2000
• Invited by USIA in 1997under International Visitors Programme to participate in a one month project on the “Role of Women in US Politics”.
• Visiting Scholar to University of Hull, UK under Peshawar-Hull academic link sponsored by the Higher Education Group, UK. 1994.

Conferences, Seminars and Workshops

• ‘Protecting Divorced Women’s Rights by the Application of Islamic Principle of Mata’a: A Case Study of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.’ Paper presented at Islamic and International Law Conference, Brunel University 9^th September2011.
• “For the Sake of Justice: Protecting Divorced Women’s Rights in Pakistan by Re-examining the Sharia Principle of Mutat (Post-Divorce Maintenance)”at an international conference “Re-Imagining the Sharia, Theory, Practice and Muslim Pluralism at Play”, organised by the University of Warwick and University of Copenhagen. Venice September 2009
• Participated in Annual family law Seminar “Time for Change? Reforming Family Law” Staffordshire University Law School 7^th Feb 2009
• Presented paper “Experiences of Conducting Case Studies” Islamic Law Curriculum Development Workshop 3^rd December 2008
• Participated in a two day workshop on “Islamic Law Curriculum Development Project” organised by UKCLE, University of Warwick. July 2008
• Presented a paper at a one day conference “Islam, Application of Sharia and Human Rights” British Institute of International and Comparative Law. June 2008
• Participated in a two day workshop on “Islamic Law Curriculum Development” organized by UKCLE.1-2^nd December 2006.
• “Women and Work in the Informal Sector: A Case Study of Women Domestic Workers in Pakistan.” Paper presented at Human Rights and Global Justice Conference, University of Warwick. 29^th- 31^st March 2006.
• “Socio-Legal Implications of Women’s Work in the Informal Sector in Pakistan.” Paper presented at Women and Gender Seminar series Department of Sociology, University of Warwick.12^th Jan 2005.
• “Women’s Law Curriculum Development Programme: Possibilities for Collaboration.” Paper presented at a two day workshop organized by Women Studies Center, University of Zimbabwe. March 2002.
• “Women’s Human Rights in Pakistan: A Situational Analysis.” Paper presented in a seminar at Women’s Law Institute, University of Oslo, Norway.14^th Sept –18^th Nov, 2001.
• Participated in a conference on “Community Participative Legal Education” organized by Ford Foundation and ILS Law College Pune, India 2001.
• Participated in a two day conference on “Confidence Building Measures Between India and Pakistan.” organized by Indian Council for Social Science Research. Delhi, India.12^th –15th July 2001.
• Rapporteurfor Provincial Consultation on “Strengthening the National Commission on The Status of Women, Pakistan” organized by Aurat Foundation and Shirkat Gah. Lahore, Pakistan. 25^th August 2001.
• Participated and presented paper on “Promotion of Women’s Human Rights in Pakistan” workshop organized by International Labor Organization 5^th - 19^th May, Karachi, Pakistan. 2000.
• “Re-examining the Legal System in Pakistan from Gender Perspective” Paper presented at a conference on “Gender and Development” organized by Pakistan Academy for Rural Development, Peshawar, Pakistan. 26^th January, 2000.
• Participated in a conference on "Law and Social Inclusion of Women” sponsored by British Council and organized by University of Warwick.1996.
• "The Contemporary Divorce Law in Pakistan with effect to Women" Paper presented at an International Conference on "North South Women’s Law Cooperation" organized by University of Oslo, Norway and University of Copenhagen Denmark at Abbottabad, Pakistan, 1996.
• "Hudood Laws and Its Effect on Women" “Discriminatory Legislation in Pakistan” Paper presented at a workshop organized by Aurat Foundation, Peshawar, Pakistan. April 1996.
• "Women, Islam and Polygamy” Paper presented in a Seminar at the Law School, University of Hull, UK. Nov 1995.

Publications

Journal Papers

(2010) Shahid, A., For the sake of justice: Protecting divorced women’s rights in Pakistan by re-examining the sharia principle of mutat (post-divorce maintenance), Journal of Islamic State Practices in International Law 6 (1) : 40- 59

(2009) Shahid, A., The socio-legal implications of women’s work in the informal sector: A case study of women domestic workers in Pakistan, Law, Social Justice & Global Development Journal (LGD) 2009 (1) : -

(2007) Shahid, A., Women and employment in plural legal settings: Some reflections on theory and practice of Islamic teachings and legal pluralism in Pakistan, Journal of Islamic State Practices in International Law 2 (3) : 49- 85

(2003) Shahid, A., Definitional issues of women’s work: Some theoretical perspectives, International Human Rights Perspective 2 (1) : 25- 40

(1999) Shahid, A., A comparative analysis of women's employment legislation in Pakistan with article 11 of CEDAW, Women Studies Journal 1 5- 40

(1998) Shahid, A., Contemporary divorce laws in Pakistan with effect to women, Journal of Law and Society 17 (30) : 54- 70

(1995) Shahid, A., Constitutional deviations and the superior judiciary in Pakistan, The Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 9 (3) : 26- 48

(1994) Shahid, A., The development of the norm of non-discrimination in international human rights law and convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women: An overview, The Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 2 (1) : 28- 42

(1994) Shahid, A., The development of the norm of non-discrimination in International human rights law and convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women: An overview, The Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 2 (1) : 28- 42

Book Chapters

(2010) Shahid, A. and Rehman, J., Sharia and implementation of human rights norms of equality and non discrimination in the family: A case study of family law in Pakistan. In: Elliesie, H. ed. Beitrage Zum Islamischen Recht VII: Islam und Menschenrechte / Islam and Human Rights. Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien : Peter Lang Publishing Group (26) : 361- 286

(2008) Ali, SS. and Shahid, A., Women, law and empowerment: Securing equal rights for women in the workplace: A case-study of women and employment in Pakistan. In: Crick, P. ed. Our Freedoms: A Decades Reflection on the Advancement of Human Rights. International Bar Association 175- 193

Books

(2010) Shahid, A., Silent voices, untold stories: Women domestic workers in Pakistan and their struggle for empowerment. Oxford University Press