Susan was born in London, UK in 1954. She received a First Class Honours Degree (BA) from Sussex University in 1982.
In 1984 she came to Pakistan with an initial commitment of two years to help in the Afghan refugee crisis. However, Peshawar became her home and she lived in that city for 30 years. She met and married her Australian husband in Peshawar; and her son was also born and raised in that city.
From 1999-2017, Susan was the Executive Director of an educational trust – the InterLit Foundation. She is currently the Chief Operations Officer of this organisation. The InterLit Foundation was established in 1992 with the primary purpose of facilitating cross-cultural understanding and a broader appreciation of language and culture with particular reference to north-western Pakistan. One example of the cultural publications that Susan produced as director of the foundation is Rohi Mataluna: Pashto Proverbs. As director she was also responsible for the running of the organisation, including project management and interaction with educational institutions and individual authors, fund raising and attending international meetings.
While in Peshawar, Susan observed women making a difference in all levels of society. This sparked her interest in how women were able to have such a positive influence in their communities and work-places.
Her research, investigating the ways in which women exercise influence in the public sphere, is the result of her many years in KP and her deep appreciation of all that Pakistani women have achieved and are achieving.
THIS IS AN INVITATION to add your voice to the research. Your insights will be helpful to this study, no matter what level of influence you are exercising in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (or have exercised in the past).
One observable change in 21st Century Pakistan is the number of women who occupy visible positions of influence outside of their homes in a wide range of professions. I am conducting research into the ways women have influence in the public sphere, outside of their homes, in order to provide educators and community leaders with important insights into women’s social status, the pace and scope of change in Pakistan, and ways the country may benefit from social change processes.
THIS IS AN INVITATION to add your voice to the research. Your insights will be helpful to this study, no matter what level of influence you are exercising (or have exercised in the past).
THE PROJECT is being undertaken by Susan Smith and will form the basis for a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) thesis at Alphacrucis College, Australia.
COMMITMENT: You will be asked to participate in a private interview conducted by other women, using Pukhto, Urdu or English, to answer questions about your work and your experiences as someone who has sought to influence others.
FOR YOUR INFORMATION, there are no foreseeable risks attached to this project. The names and identities of participants will not be revealed to others; they will only be known to the researcher and those assisting in the research process. No names will be published at all.
MAKE CONTACT: Kindly complete the questions below In order to cover a broad range of professions and areas of influence, kindly indicate what field you are currently working in or have worked in. Please select the word or phrase that best matches your response.