Zarifa Ghafari

Today we’re honoring Zarifa Ghafari our Sister of the Year in Women’s Rights.  She’s a mother, daughter, sister, women’s advocate, human rights activist, author, Netflix documentarian, and the former Mayor of Maidan Shahr in Afghanistan.

Zarifa Ghafari was one of the few Afghan female mayors and was also the youngest to be appointed, at the age of 24. She is known for her efforts to advance women's rights in Afghanistan. Zarifa was chosen as an International Woman of Courage in 2020 by the US Secretary of State. And received the 2022 International Women's Rights Award at the United Nations Geneva Summit. She was included by the BBC in the list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019. And she was included in The Badass 50 list. In 2020, she received the award: “Women Who Can Change the World by InStyle.” 

Her book, Zarifa, A Woman’s Battle in a Man’s World is a poignant memoir and the inspiration for her Netflix documentary, In Her Hands.

Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan’s government in mid-August 2021, Zarifa fled with her husband, mother, and five sisters. The German government granted her asylum, and she now resides in Germany.

Listen to Zarifa’s story.