Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre

What Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre does

Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre is a Lahore-based non-profit organization dedicated to advancing women's rights and gender equality in Pakistan. Founded informally in 1985 and formally registered in 1995, the organization delivers community programs across multiple Punjab districts — including Lahore, Kasur, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Nankana Sahab, and Gujrat — while also operating within broader South Asian and international feminist networks. Its programmatic reach has extended to more than 29,861 beneficiaries according to organizational disclosures. The centre is led by Executive Coordinator Neelam Hussain, who has held the role continuously since inception.

The organization's core products are editorial and educational rather than technology-driven. These include the BAYAN journal, Kaleidoscope primers, the Lariyan and Phuljhary series, IEC (Information, Education, Communication) materials, and organizational newsletters. Programs such as 'From the Margins to the Mainstream,' 'Fempower Pakistan,' and 'Amplify Change' anchor its advocacy and community engagement work, often in coalition with peer organizations including BRAC University, Shirkat Gah, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), and the Aurat Foundation.

Simorgh's business model is grant-funded rather than commercially monetized. Operating with a team of 13, the centre relies on institutional grants from bilateral and multilateral donors — including the Netherlands Embassy, UNIFEM, and DFID — to sustain publication output and field programming. There is no disclosed revenue from sales, services, or licensing, and the organization's financial scale sits well below typical commercial SMEs. Its sustainability is therefore a function of donor relationships, grant cycle continuity, and the reputational capital accumulated through nearly four decades of feminist publishing and community work in Pakistan.

Name

Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre

Legal name

Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre

Website

https://simorgh.org.pk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre is a Lahore-based Pakistani non-profit founded in 1985 that produces feminist publications and runs community gender-equality programs across multiple Punjab districts, serving women beneficiaries through grant-funded advocacy and educational initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Rights Advocacy and Non-profit Publication Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (813990), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Electives & Enrichment Curriculum (Arts, Music, PE, CTE Exploratories) (EDAGAAAG), Legal & Governance Professional Development (EDAGANAK)

Keywords

• Women's rights advocacy
• Feminist research publications
• Community gender training
• Human rights education
• Non-profit legal scholarship

Headquarters

HQ city

Lahore

HQ country

Pakistan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor funding and grants: Simorgh is a non-government, non-profit feminist/activist organization. It has no commercial revenue model. The organization is entirely funded through grants and donations from institutional donors including the Netherlands Embassy, UNIFEM, DFID, and other international development funders. Donors fund specific projects and the organization does not charge for its services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Simorgh is a non-government, non-profit feminist/activist organization that researches and publishes on women's rights, gender equality, and human rights, while running community outreach, gender awareness workshops, skill-development and political empowerment programs for women, girls, and youth in Lahore and surrounding districts. Its product portfolio includes the BAYAN socio-legal journal, Kaleidoscope/Lariyan/Phuljhary educational publication series, gender and legal scholarship titles, IEC materials (brochures, flip-card storybooks, hygiene booklets), district newsletters, documentary films, and funded community projects such as From the Margins to the Mainstream and Fempower Pakistan. Outputs are delivered free of charge and financed entirely through grants and donations from international development donors.

Product overview

Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre operates as a non-governmental feminist/activist organization offering a portfolio of publications, community programs, and educational resources rather than a unified technology product. The core offerings include the BAYAN socio-legal journal, educational publication series (Kaleidoscope, Lariyan, Phuljhary, Teachers Guides), gender and legal publications, IEC materials, newsletters, video documentaries, and community development projects. These products work together to advance the organization's mission of research, dissemination of information, and women's empowerment through publications, seminars, workshops, and skill-development initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BAYAN: BAYAN is a socio-legal journal that aims to fill the gap in legal scholarship on human rights and women's issues in Pakistan, providing a platform for rights-oriented and equity-based perspectives.

Products and services

• BAYAN Socio-Legal Journal A socio-legal journal providing critical analyses of Pakistani laws, legal practice, and patriarchal attitudes, targeted at academics, activists, and the wider public, with 8 volumes funded by UNIFEM and DFID.
• Lariyan Series Children's storytelling publication series for gender sensitization and awareness building in children aged 5–12.
• Kaleidoscope Series Human rights education primers for school students that employ participatory learning methodology, adopted in over 26 schools across Lahore and other cities.
• Phuljhary Series Children's educational publication series developing gender consciousness and rights awareness.
• Teachers Guide Series Teacher's guides accompanying the Kaleidoscope and Phuljhary primers, supporting participatory teaching methodology in human rights education.
• IEC Material Brochures, flip-card story books, health hygiene booklets/kits, flip charts, and board games focused on SRHR, GBV, underage marriage, and women's rights, available as free PDF downloads.
• Newsletter Series Quarterly and periodic district-level newsletters covering food security, GBV, climate change, and community issues for Lahore, Gujrat, and Nankana Sahab.
• Gender Publications Book-length gender publications covering women's rights, gender equality, violence against women, and women's histories, including titles such as Nayee Soch Nayae Kadam, Engendering the Nation-State, Re-Inventing Women, and In the Court of Women.
• Legal Publications Legal scholarship publications including Constitutional Evolution volumes and Marital Law & Customary Practices, covering Pakistani law and legal practice.
• Literature Publications Literary works by affiliated authors including Hudood Shikni Kay Khwab, Inner Courtyard, and The Romance of Raja Rasalu and Other Tales.
• Community Projects Community development and women's empowerment projects including From the Margins to the Mainstream, Lahore Walled City Community Project (Planting the Seeds of Change), Fempower Pakistan, and Amplify Change, delivering workshops, skill dissemination, GBV awareness, and political empowerment across Lahore, Kasur, Hafizabad, Gujranwala, Gujrat, and Nankana Sahab.
• Video Documentary Series Documentary videos featuring peace school content, school principal interviews, and success stories from community projects, distributed via the organization website and Facebook.

Quantifiable outcome

• 29,861 population reached through Amplify Change project SRHR and GBV awareness programs (2016–present)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Home School Teachers of Walled City, LahoreminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 July 2009Simorgh organized three-day teacher training workshops for home school teachers living and operating in Lahore's Walled City. The workshops focused on pedagogical skills, human rights concepts, and awareness building, with follow-up meetings to strengthen teaching capabilities.
• St. Anthony's High SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 April 2009Partner in human rights education research including discussions with students and observations of student-teacher interaction, pedagogy, and classroom dynamics. Principal Cecil Chaudhry has been a long-standing supporter of Simorgh's human rights education program.
• BRAC University DhakacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimorgh collaborated with BRAC University Dhaka as a South Asia Hub partner of the Pathways to Women's Empowerment Research Consortium. Simorgh conducted the 'Changing Narratives of Empowerment: Trajectories of Desire and the Mediation of Socio-Cultural Spaces' project as its component of this comparative research initiative. This partnership involved joint research, focus group discussions, interviews, and life histories examining media and religious gatherings' impact on women's empowerment.
• Shirkat Gah Women's Resource CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimorgh partnered with Shirkat Gah and the Agha Khan University Community Health Department for the Women's Empowerment in Muslim Contexts (WEMC) project, a four-country action research initiative. Simorgh contributed to the research component including focus groups, social mapping, networking diagrams, interviews, and policy dialogue.
• Lahore Grammar School SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLahore Grammar School (LGS) was founded by a group of women in 1976 and is a long-standing partner of Simorgh for human rights education projects, school text projects, and initial research. LGS was also a co-partner in the Shang School earthquake relief project. LGS founder members Nasrene Shah, Samina Rahman, and Saltanat Bokhari were co-founders of Simorgh.
• Convent of Jesus and MaryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in the Human Rights School Texts Project alongside St. Anthony's High School and Lahore Grammar School.
• Aitchison CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in the Human Rights School Texts Project alongside other Lahore schools.
• Fatima Jinnah College for Women, Chuna MandicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitial partner and site for the Lahore Walled City Community Project 'Planting the Seeds of Change III'. Students participated in discussion sessions, career counselling, and educational activities. The college served as an entry point for broader community outreach in the Walled City.
• Lahore Grammar School 55 Main GulbergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner with Simorgh in the earthquake relief Shang School Project. LGS branch raised funds and collaborated on rebuilding a school in Shang village, Battagram after the 2005 earthquake.
• Lahore Grammar School Johar Town BranchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner with Simorgh in the earthquake relief Shang School Project, raising funds and supporting the rebuilding effort in Shang village, Battagram.
• National Network Partners (Pakistan)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSimorgh is part of a strong national network in Pakistan including: AGHS, Ajoka Theatre, APWA, FPAP, Aurat Foundation, Children's Rights Society, Dastak, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), Shirkat Gah Women's Resource Centre, SAHE, Women Action Forum (WAF), Women Living Under Muslim Laws, and 20+ other organizations working on women's rights, human rights, and civil society.
• International Network PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partners include: CHANGE UK, DAWN International, Equality Now, Institute of Development Studies Sussex, Women's Global Network for Reproductive Rights, Women's International Resource Centre (ISIS), World Council of Churches, and DFID (Ilm Ideas). These partners provide funding, knowledge sharing, and advocacy support.
• Regional Network Partners (South Asia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partners across South Asia include: Ain-o-Salish Kendra (Bangladesh), The Asia-Pacific Women's Action Network (APWAN), Asian Human Rights Commission, Centre for Women's Development (India), Committee for Asian Women (CAW), Kali for Women (India), Kalyanamitra (Indonesia), Nari Pokhho (Bangladesh), Sakshi (India), Sewa, and Social Scientists' Association, among others.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Aurat Foundation: One of Pakistan's largest women's rights NGOs, headquartered in Lahore with national presence, working on gender equality, GBV, and political empowerment through community programs and publications — directly comparable mission and beneficiary base to Simorgh.
• Women Action Forum (WAF): Pakistani feminist activist collective co-founded in the same era as Simorgh (1980s), focused on women's rights advocacy, legal reform, and political participation — same activist lineage and national network membership.
• AGHS Legal Aid Cell: Lahore-based women's rights organization providing legal aid and advocacy on gender-based violence and family law — directly comparable to Simorgh's legal literacy and BAYAN journal work and named as a national network partner.
• Shirkat Gah Women's Resource Centre: Pakistan-based feminist/activist NGO also operating in Lahore since the 1980s, focused on women's rights, legal literacy, and policy advocacy. Listed by Simorgh as a direct core partner on the WEMC project and a member of the same national network.
• Society for the Advancement of Education (SAHE): Lahore-based education and women's rights NGO publishing educational materials and operating community programs — overlaps with Simorgh's Kaleidoscope primers and human rights education mandate.

Regional players

• Potohar Organization for Development Advocacy (PODA): Pakistani women's empowerment NGO working on political participation and voter engagement — comparable to Simorgh's 'From the Margins to the Mainstream' voter/NADRA registration work, though focused on Punjab/Potohar region.
• Nari Pokhho: Bangladesh-based feminist NGO working on women's rights, GBV, and SRHR — comparable South Asian regional peer through Simorgh's documented South Asia network, serving similar beneficiaries with similar grassroots advocacy model.

Emerging players

• BRAC University Gender Studies Programme: Academic research partner of Simorgh on the Pathways to Women's Empowerment Research Consortium; comparable in conducting comparative South Asian research on women's empowerment and producing scholarly publications.

Broad incumbents

• DAWN (Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era) International: Global feminist network and thought leader on gender equality, intersecting with Simorgh's mission through international feminist scholarship and policy advocacy. Listed by Simorgh as a network partner.
• Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP): Pakistan's premier broad human rights organization operating nationally with a wider mandate (covering all human rights, not just women's rights); overlaps with Simorgh on women's rights, legal literacy, and advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/1AtUw2gzhj
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/simorgh-lahore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Simorgh Women's Resource and Publication Centre