Crystal Bayat is an Afghan social activist and human rights advocate known for her protests against the Taliban takeover, advocacy for women rights and political activism inside and outside Afghanistan.
20 Facts About Crystal Bayat
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Crystal Bayat grew up most of her life with democracy and positive societal changes.
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Crystal Bayat is currently continuing the fight to preserve Afghan human right's achievements as an agent of change.
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Crystal Bayat was born in 1997 in Kabul and is a native of Ghazni province, and a member of the Crystal Bayat tribe, a Turkic ethnic minority.
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Crystal Bayat's mother is a gynaecologist and her father worked for the Ministry of Interior Affairs before the collapse of the republic.
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Crystal Bayat helped lead Kabul's Independence Day protests just days after the Taliban took over the city in mid-August 2021.
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Crystal Bayat was the representative of minorities at peace negotiations in Doha between the Taliban and the former government.
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Crystal Bayat was the member of Loy Jirga, the traditional grand assembly of Afghanistan.
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Crystal Bayat survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban in 2020 due to her active role in peace negotiations.
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Crystal Bayat has published several articles in national and international media on women's rights during the peace talks with the Taliban.
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Crystal Bayat continues to speak to the media and at public and private events about the current geopolitical situation in Afghanistan.
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Crystal Bayat is active in helping friends, family and academic and professional colleagues achieve a collective voice against today's inhumane treatment and poor governance by the Taliban.
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Crystal Bayat writes on the plight of Afghan women and education and about Afghan minority challenges for national and international newspapers.
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Crystal Bayat went to join Daulat Ram College in Delhi, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in political science in 2019 in the first ranking.
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Crystal Bayat holds a master's degree from the United Nations Institute in Delhi.
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In 2021, Crystal Bayat started her PhD at Delhi University in Political Management but her program was cut short due to the Taliban takeover.
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Crystal Bayat has been accepted into the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA, Heinz College Masters of Public Policy program.
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In 2020, Crystal Bayat received the Rumi Award in the "Literature Category" and was named as one of 50 Influential Women by Rumi Award organizers.
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Crystal Bayat was recognized by the former Afghan president and parliament in early 2020 for activism in passing the minority rights bill.
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On December 7,2021, Crystal Bayat was named in the BBC 100 Women 2021 list for her social activist and human-rights advocacy, which figured prominently in protests against the Taliban takeover in 2021.