Refugee in Hong Kong could win global award. So why does she have mixed feelings?

When Hong Kong’s Uzma Naveed discovered she was a finalist for a women’s empowerment global award in Paris, it should have been the proudest moment of her life. Instead, she was left with mixed feelings.

The 37-year-old refugee from Pakistan was chosen from a pool of 1,500 nominees from 97 jurisdictions for the “national impact” category of the Women Changing the World Awards, an annual event meant to celebrate women’s achievements.

Uzma, who came to Hong Kong seeking asylum with her family in 2015, has spent recent years speaking about the experience of refugees in the city in a bid to build empathy among the public and help change the typically negative portrayal of her community.

But even as she pored over the details of the award, scheduled for April 21 to 24, a more sober reality set in – even though her case had been substantiated three years ago, her status in Hong Kong means she is not allowed to leave the city.

“I was telling my friends that I couldn’t believe it. Me, a ‘woman changing the world,’ I’ve never thought of myself like that,” she told the South China Morning Post, describing the initial amazement she felt upon finding out she was a finalist.

“And then it just struck me – I cannot go,” she said, “and I wish I could go because this is one of the biggest opportunities for anyone to be seen in this kind of global forum.”