My work draws on political science, sociology, international political economy, cultural studies, and public policy, bringing these perspectives together to understand how power operates within institutions, economies, societies, and international systems.

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Across my scholarship, public writing, teaching, and policy engagement, I explore the connections between power, representation, institutions, and interdependence. I am particularly interested in questions that sit at the intersection of disciplines: Who has political and economic power? Who is represented, and whose voices remain absent? How do institutions respond to social and economic change? And how do states navigate an increasingly interconnected yet fragmented world?

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These questions have led my work across a range of issues, including gender and political representation, U.S.–Pakistan relations, global political economy, diplomacy, climate and water security, economic resilience, and the changing global order.

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At the center of my work is a simple but expansive question:

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How can political, economic, and cultural institutions become more representative, inclusive, resilient, and responsive in a changing global order?

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Academic & Scholarly Work

Books & Monographs

Zia, Ameena Mohyuddin. Representation: A Study of Gender Quotas in the National Assembly of Pakistan. Lahore: Folio Books.

A longitudinal study of women's political representation in Pakistan, examining gender quotas, political participation, and the relationship between descriptive and substantive representation.

Zia, Ameena. Change THE Change. National Book Foundation, Pakistan.

A children's book addressing climate change and encouraging young readers to understand environmental challenges and their capacity to create change.

Scholarly Chapters & Manuscripts

Zia, Ameena Mohyuddin. “Representation: Making the Absent Present.” In Women, Power and Autonomy: Rights, Respect and Representation in Law and Society. Springer Nature.

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Zia, Ameena Mohyuddin. “The Promise in the Paradox of Microfinance: Gender, Neoliberalism, and Women’s Economic Futures in the Global South.” Manuscript chapter in Finance, Feminism and Fortune: Living in a Monetarised World, edited by Dr. Jocelynne A. Scutt.

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Doctoral Research

Descriptive to Substantive Representation: A Study of Gender Quotas in the National Assembly of Pakistan, 2002–2018

Zia, Ameena Mohyuddin. Ph.D. dissertation, University of Missouri–St. Louis, 2019.

The research examines Pakistan's gender quota system across three National Assemblies, asking whether increasing the number of women in political institutions produces meaningful substantive representation. The research provides the foundation for subsequent scholarship on gender quotas, political representation, institutional power, and women's participation.

International Policy & UN Engagement

U.S. Women's Caucus | CSW69 Beijing+30

“Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women”

Zia, Ameena Mohyuddin, Ph.D. “Institutional Mechanisms for the Advancement of Women.” CSW69 Beijing+30 Shadow Report. U.S. Women's Caucus, 2025.

The policy brief examines institutional mechanisms for advancing women in the United States, including governmental structures, gender-equality institutions, legislation, public policy, and institutional accountability.

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Public Scholarship & Policy Writing

Extends academic research into contemporary debates surrounding Pakistan, the United States, South Asia, political economy, gender, diplomacy, and global governance. These writings have appeared in: Dawn · The News International · The Nation · The Express Tribune · The Friday Times · Daily Times

U.S.–Pakistan, South Asia & Political Representation

Daily Times

“Along the Lines of Representation”
March 26, 2018

“Pakistani-American Representation #MidtermElections2018”
April 7, 2019

“Pakistani Americans in Midterm Elections”
April 9, 2019

“A Search for a Place in American Political Leadership: Chances and Will of Pakistani-American Women”
January 21, 2024 · The Friday Times

These writings examine political representation, Pakistani-American participation, women's political leadership, diaspora politics, and the relationship between identity and political institutions.

Dawn

These writings in Dawn address governance, women's rights, institutional change, youth, identity, and Pakistan's political and social future.

“A Deafening Silence”

May 15, 2025

“Not for Sale”

June 13, 2025

“Rebuilding Pakistan from the Inside Out”

August 14, 2025

“Shaping Tomorrow: Pakistan's Youth and Jinnah”

December 25, 2025

View Dr. Zia's author archive at Dawn

The News International

“Global Markets and Women's Participation”

April 27, 2025

An examination of women's participation in global financial markets and the structural barriers affecting women's economic power.

“Trade, Not Tensions”

June 1, 2025

An exploration of trade, connectivity, development, and Pakistan's economic position within a changing geopolitical environment.

The Nation

“Women and the Shift in Global Finance”

March 5, 2025

An examination of women's participation in global finance and the changing relationship between gender, economic power, and financial systems.

The Friday Times

The work in The Friday Times has developed a sustained body of commentary on political economy, gender, diplomacy, water, South Asian security, culture, and the changing global order.

2026

“Beyond Globalisation: Redrawing Economic and Political Interdependence for Resilience”
January 26, 2026

“Ethical Representation in Postcolonial Pakistan: Faiz, Naheed, and Sadequain's Vision”
February 15, 2026

“The Rise of Pakistan as a Diplomatic Intermediary in Global Crises”
April 10, 2026

“Water: The Strategic Resource of the Twenty-First Century”
August 6, 2026

2025

“The Rise of Economic Statecraft: How Political Economy Is Redefining Global Power”
March 1, 2025

“Advancing Gender Equality: Reflections From UN CSW 2025 and the 30th Anniversary of Beijing”
March 26, 2025

“The Baloch Economic Modernity: Tapestry of Heritage and an Opportunity for Prosperity”
April 17, 2025

“The Indus Waters Treaty: Lifeline of Peace, Power, and Global Interdependence”
April 24, 2025

“Faultlines and Frontlines: Reframing the India-Pakistan Conflict in the Age of Narrative Warfare”
April 30, 2025

“Beyond the Line of Control: South Asia's War and the Shifting Fault Lines of Power”
May 8, 2025

“The Indus Waters Treaty: A Watershed Moment for Women-Centered Governance”
May 13, 2025

“Reclaiming Identity: El-Salahi and Sadequain Between Empire and Modernity”
May 24, 2025

“Behind the Handshake: What General Asim Munir's White House Visit Really Means”
June 20, 2025

“Water Wars Are Coming Unless We Rethink Sovereignty Now”
July 4, 2025

“Beyond Borders: The Shared Soul and Cultural Memory of Pakistan and Afghanistan”
October 17, 2025

“When Beauty Persuades: Art, Soft Power, and the Politics of Museums”
October 26, 2025

“The Burden of Symbolism: How We Turned Malala Into Our Moral Stand-In”
October 31, 2025

“Mamdani's Campaign and the Question of Political Representation in a Diverse Democracy”
November 6, 2025

“16 Days of Activism: Naming the Subtle Violence South Asian Women Endure”
November 25, 2025

“Kashmir's Young Voices: Dreams, Challenges, and the Future of Peace”
December 5, 2025

“Art as Compass: How Creativity Shapes Society, Justice, and Human Imagination”
December 15, 2025

Water Diplomacy, Security & the Changing Global Order

Water security has become an increasingly important dimension of my recent work.

Selected writing

“The Indus Waters Treaty: Lifeline of Peace, Power, and Global Interdependence”
The Friday Times · April 24, 2025

“The Indus Waters Treaty: A Watershed Moment for Women-Centered Governance”
The Friday Times · May 13, 2025

“Water Wars Are Coming Unless We Rethink Sovereignty Now”
The Friday Times · July 4, 2025

“Water: The Strategic Resource of the Twenty-First Century”
The Friday Times · August 6, 2026

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