In the agricultural heartland of Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, one woman is rewriting the narrative of rural empowerment, climate resilience, and gender roles. Shazia Sami, a farmer, trainer, healthcare provider, and community leader, is defying all odds social restrictions, limited resources, and technological barriers to show that women not only belong in the fields but can also lead from the front with innovation.
This is the story of a woman who sows sugarcane, maize, wheat, and vegetables with her own hands, manages a household, stitches clothes, trains young girls in life skills, serves women as a Lady Health Visitor (LHV), and still finds the time and spirit to lead her community toward self-sufficiency powered by technology and determination.
From Traditional Farming to Smart Agriculture:
Shazia Sami has been farming for 24 years. A master in cultivating sugarcane, she also specializes in making pure, traditional jaggery (gur). But what sets her apart in today’s era of agricultural uncertainty marked by water shortages and fertilizer crises is her early adoption of soil moisture sensors, a smart device that reads moisture levels, soil fertility, and irrigation needs.
Installed with the support of the International Water Management Institute (IWMI), these sensors have transformed her work.
> “Before, we used to guess when and how much water the crops needed,” Shazia recalls. “Sometimes we over-irrigated and ruined the crop. Other times, lack of water would reduce the yield. Now, the sensor tells us exactly what the land needs. It has changed everything.”
Her bold step into agri-tech is now being studied as a model of precision agriculture in rural Pakistan.
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A Husband’s Support, A Woman’s Rise :
Behind Shazia’s success stands her supportive husband, Samiullah, who not only respects her decisions but also consults her on farming strategies.
“My wife not only helps in the fields but also advises which crop will be most profitable next season—and she’s always right,” Samiullah proudly says. “We are like two links of the same chain. A woman’s success is a man’s strength, not weakness.”
Together, they’ve built a life based on cooperation, equality, and mutual respect.a
A Queen of the House and the Fields :
Shazia is more than a farmer. As an LHV, she provides vital maternal health services to local women. She also runs a maternity home and a community training center where she teaches girls sewing, farming techniques, and kitchen gardening.
“Every woman should have some income-generating skill,” she emphasizes. “It gives financial independence and reduces household disputes.”
Teaching Women to Grow Their Own Food:
When local NGOs began distributing free vegetables, Shazia saw an opportunity not just to feed but to teach.
“Free goods help for a day, but knowledge lasts forever. I encouraged women to grow the vegetables themselves and taught them how to plant, water, and harvest,” she says.
Through kitchen gardening and seed-sharing, she’s slowly turning passive recipients into active producers.
Overcoming Criticism with Results;
Shazia’s journey was not without resistance. After her marriage, she faced criticism for being an educated woman taking up traditional farming roles making rotis for laborers, producing jaggery from sugarcane juice, and working long hours in the fields.
“People doubted me. But when I saw real results from the sensors, I installed another one. Our vegetable yield increased, and so did our income,” she shares with a confident smile.
IWMI’s Role and the Search for a Changemaker:
Behind Shazia’s transformation lies an organization that believed in her: IWMI, and in particular, their representative Mehwish, who was tasked with finding a woman farmer in Charsadda.
“Initially, I didn’t believe I’d find one. I thought Pukhtun women don’t work in the fields. But when I met Shazia, I was stunned—she managed the entire sugarcane crop, from planning to execution,” Mehwish recalls.
Despite IWMI’s initial doubts about rural women adopting high-tech tools like soil moisture sensors, Shazia not only adapted to it quickly but also began sending feedback. Her results were impressive: less pest infestation, better flavor in crops, longer operational periods for her jaggery unit.
Mehwish says:
> “This wasn’t just a technical shift. It was a social revolution. Shazia proved that when women are empowered to make decisions, they benefit not just themselves, but their entire community.”
With Mehwish’s help, Shazia was linked with other organizations that provided seeds for kitchen gardening. A second sensor was installed on her land, and her performance led to her collaboration with the Agricultural Engineering Department, which is now installing a solar water system on her farm to combat water scarcity.
A Family Powered by Partnership:
Mehwish attributes much of Shazia’s success to the autonomy her husband gave her:
> “She has the freedom to experiment, decide, and teach. That empowerment came from trust.”
She believes the soil moisture sensor is more than a farming tool it’s a gateway to involve women in agriculture without even stepping into the field. They can remotely decide irrigation schedules and manage farm inputs with scientific precision.A Role Model for Many:
Shazia’s story is a reminder that change begins with one step, one supporter, and one woman who dares to lead. She urges the government and organizations to provide rural women with solar-powered systems, agri-machinery, and skill training so they too can rise.
“When a husband supports his wife, nothing is difficult,” she says. “Raising children, running a household, or managing a farm—it’s all possible when both partners share the load.”
More Than a Woman, A Movement:
Shazia Sami is not just a name she’s a force, a system, a mission. She is the blend of tradition and technology, of home and field, of service and leadership. Her story in Charsadda is a shining example that a woman is not confined to four walls she is, in fact, the pillar of progress.
Let Shazia’s journey be a message to all: with belief, opportunity, and unity, rural women can not only fight climate change but lead the way forward.
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