Dubai teen leads the fight for child safety across the globe, one fearless stride at a time

Seher Pahade: Championing child Rights and anti-bullying globally

Last updated:
Lakshana N Palat, Assistant Features Editor
4 MIN READ
Seher Pahade has been fighting for child's rights ever since she was five years old.
Seher Pahade has been fighting for child's rights ever since she was five years old.
Gulf News/ James Martinez

At first, 14-year-old Seher Pahade from Dubai seems quiet and reserved. But that fades as she starts talking about what’s close to her heart: Saving people. Her eyes light up and her voice resonates with passion as she recounts her journey, from the age of five to now, doing everything she can for children and speaking out against cyberbullying. Even if it’s just a drop in the ocean, she’s not going to give up.

Introducing herself, Pahade explains that she is a child warrior with the Cactus Foundation, India—an organisation she has been associated with since she was five. Looking back was never an option, she says firmly. “I was raised in an ecosystem where I was taught not to be a bystander, but an upstander. I was always encouraged to raise my voice and break the silence,” she shares. Her focus has remained on issues like child abuse and gender inequality. Over the years, she has visited rural communities, speaking with teachers, parents, and policymakers to push for change.

A childhood shaped by courage

This powerful and purpose-driven environment shaped Pahade’s early understanding of the world’s injustices. At just five, she pledged her birthday to the cause — designing and selling 100 bookmarks to raise ₹10,000 for the foundation during a financial crunch. “That’s when I fell in love with the cause,” she says. “And since then, I haven’t stopped.”

The stories of suffering affected her so deeply that she would often write unsent letters to victims as a way of processing her emotions. As she grew, so did her activism. She participated in walkathons and awareness campaigns, creating posters, visiting police stations, and lending a hand wherever needed — even cleaning the foundation’s office. “I was just doing my small part,” she says. By the age of six, she had become the face of campaigns like Don’t Be a Teddy, Speak Up.

When activism turned personal

Pahade shifted to Dubai, and her activism grew manifold after she became a survivor of bullying. It was a crippling experience as she recalls. “I used to just cry every day. I used to cry myself to sleep, and I realised this is not how I wanted to see myself. I knew this was not how it could go ahead. But I never lost my values, not the ones that my parents gave to me, and even today, I hold on to them. I use them as armour and shield, and not let grief overwhelm me.”  

She felt bogged down by feelings of hopelessness, and exhaustion. “I went through a stage of depression. And one of the best things at the time was therapy, which became a safe space to say what you felt. And just cry. And that really helped,” she says, recalling a key moment in her therapy, when she had to reveal the painful memories of bullying. Her therapist taught her how to take back her own power, and to stop referring to them as ‘my bully’.

At this point, her mother, Nusrat Khan, a clinical psychologist steps in and even shares a small anecdote, of how a teacher in school would just quietly check in on Pahade, at the end of the day. It was these little gestures of kindness from people, that reminded her that the world did have a lot more beauty in it, than ugliness, and pushed her forward.

A new chapter in Dubai

Pahade’s life in Dubai took a new meaning and form. Dubai had a reach that she hadn’t experienced before; she could reach more nationalities, as she says. “Lebanese, Americans and Portuguese, and the fact that I was able to reach a larger audience, you feel satisfaction that you are reaching so many people globally. Even if it’s on a small scale, it matters. I get to interact with so many people and hear their stories from their countries,” she says.

Pahade trained to become a 'child warrior' and was certified to take on webinars with parents, teachers. “Ever since I was bullied, I learnt that you cannot put the onus on a child, it is the responsibility of the parents, teachers, to take accountability of their child’s protection.” In this spirit, at the age of 11, she started a podcast called Capeless Superheroes, where she interviewed several experts, such as Jayneen Sanders, Rakshit Tandon, and Kimberly King, and even conducted her first one-hour workshop for over 100 adult attendees.

 She even took up sign language courses, so that she could communicate to those who were most vulnerable. “They were the most prone to get affected and bullied. I wanted the message to reach them. Till today, I go to India, and meet the same set of students, teachers and parents and take sessions for them.” It gives her a little comfort to see some positive change there. That’s not all: She managed to conduct an online webinar, where she had a global audience. “It really empowered me to keep me continuing with my work,” she says.

Recognition and road ahead

Her work has not gone unnoticed. Pahade  is a four-time winner at the Emirates Literature Festival and was recognised at the ISPICAN Sweden Congress as one of its youngest presenters. She recently conducted a webinar with a global audience, another milestone in her ever-growing journey.

Despite her age, Pahade’s  message is clear: No act is too small, and no voice is too young. As long as children are suffering in silence, she’ll be there — speaking up, showing up, and reminding the world that change begins with one brave step.

Lakshana N PalatAssistant Features Editor
Lakshana is an entertainment and lifestyle journalist with over a decade of experience. She covers a wide range of stories—from community and health to mental health and inspiring people features. A passionate K-pop enthusiast, she also enjoys exploring the cultural impact of music and fandoms through her writing.

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