In March, Humphrey fellow and BBC correspondent Farhat Javed bagged the 2024 Gracie Award for her documentary titled ‘The Last Wakhi Shepherdesses’. Produced and directed by Javed, the documentary is part of the BBC 100 Women.
About the project
The film follows the last Pakistani Wakhi shepherdesses on one of their final journeys up the Pamir pastures in the Karakoram mountains. They walk eight hours a day, through rain, scorching heat, and snow. This trek is widely known as one of the most dangerous treks in the world.
For years, these courageous women have walked up remote mountains to graze their flocks and produce dairy products, generating income that has supported healthcare, education, and infrastructure development in their valley. But now, there are only seven of them left. With the new generation pursuing more modern careers, the lifestyle of these shepherdesses will soon die out completely.
You can watch the documentary here.
Well-deserved accolade
The Gracie Awards highlight powerful programming created by women, for women, and about women across all facets of media. Javed, who attended the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University from 2020 to 2021 as part of the Hubert H. Humphrey Program, was lauded for her exceptional storytelling and her inspirational contribution to the industry.
