Nighat Dad

Speaker at the St. Gallen Symposium

Nighat Dad is a prominent civil rights attorney and leading women’s rights advocate in Pakistan. She founded and serves as Executive Director of the Digital Rights Foundation, established in 2012 to combat online harassment of women and now advocating for human rights, freedom of expression, and inclusive digital governance. A trailblazer in digital rights and women’s activism, she has championed internet access for marginalized groups in global majority. Recognized globally, Nighat was named a TIME Next Generation Leader in 2015, received the Human Rights Tulip Award in 2016, and became a TED Global Fellow in 2017. She serves on several national and international boards, including UNSG AI High-Level Advisory Body, Meta’s Oversight Board, Microsoft’s Advisory Council on Technology and Human Rights, and as Vice President of the Forum on Information and Democracy.