Zarifa Ghafari was born in Kabul in 1992 and comes from the village of Dawran Khel in the Chak district of Maidan Wardak province. The last years she lived in Kabul before she had to flee from the Taliban. Via Islamabad and Istanbul she reached Germany, where she now lives and from where she fights for human rights in Afghanistan and in the world.

Zarifa Ghafari is an intellectual, enlightened young woman and, moreover, a courageous civil activist who is devoted to her country and her people and defends women’s rights. She attended elementary school in Rahman Naswan High School and then pursued higher education in economics, graduating with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in India.

After completing her higher and professional education, economist Zarifa Ghafari worked in various fields to serve the country and its people. Considering the situation and obligations of women and youth, she began to advocate for the protection and rights of Afghan women. As part of this initiative, Zarifa Ghafari established the Afghan Women Development and Help Foundation. The main and most important mission of this foundation was to advocate for the enlistment of women in the Afghan National Army, especially those helpless girls living in slums who have reached the minimum legal age.

Zarifa Ghafari Lecture Topics:

• Global Politics: Russia, China, USA & Dealing with the Orient
• Human Work & Human Capital: The Right to Education
• From Afghanistan to the World: The Common Good of the People in the Orient
• Women’s Rights & Human Rights: The Real World in the Middle East

Considering the fact that Zarifa Ghafari has rendered honorable and continuous services for the welfare of the people, the residents, youth and women of Maidan Wardak Province trusted her and she was appointed as the representative of the Youth Parliament of Maidan Wardak Province where she worked for youth empowerment, social development and solving problems and more.

Zarifa Ghafari established a close relationship between the people and the state, sharing public information and knowledge between the state and the people. She invested in the media sector and established PEGHAL FM radio in Maidan Wardak, one of the most marginalized provinces. On the first day of work in July 2018, men barricaded her official residence. A mob, armed with stones and sticks, threatened her. She tried to disseminate information about women’s rights, political, economic and social development of residents through a professional and standardized radio program.

Zarifa Ghafari was in office since 24/04/2017 as the first female mayor of Maidan Wardak province.

International Awards:

Zarifa Ghafari was included by BBC in the list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019. On March 4, 2020, Zarifa Ghafari was honored by the U.S. Department of State as an “International Women of Courage” and she was included in The Badass 50 list. In 2020, she received the award: “Women Who Can Change the World by InStyle” as well as many other awards and lists within the country from various organizations.