1. Roya Rahmani was born on May 1978 and is an Afghan diplomat who served as Afghanistan's first female ambassador to the United States and non-resident ambassador to Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic from December 2018 to July 2021.
Roya Rahmani is a distinguished fellow at the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, a senior advisor at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Center, and a senior fellow for international security at the New America Foundation.
Roya Rahmani received a bachelor's degree in software engineering from McGill University in 2003 and a master's degree in public administration and international law at Columbia University in 2009.
Roya Rahmani's school was closed for months at a time due to the missiles hitting the city.
Roya Rahmani returned to Kabul in 1998, but refused to leave the house rather than put on a burqa as the Taliban required.
Roya Rahmani worked part-time as a subject matter expert with the NATO Joint Forces Training Center, and a consultant to the New York Department of Education, the United Nations Secretariat in New York, the Department of Trade and International Affairs of Canada, Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, Women Living under Muslim Laws, and other INGOs.
Roya Rahmani received the Best Human Rights Activist Award from the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in 2007 for her work on this document.
Roya Rahmani joined the Afghan government, first in the Ministry of Education, then as a senior advisor to the Deputy Foreign Minister in 2011.
From June 2016-December 2018, Roya Rahmani served as Afghanistan's first female ambassador to Indonesia, non-resident ambassador to Singapore, and first ever ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Roya Rahmani was the second woman appointed as an ambassador by President Ashraf Ghani, after he vowed to give women more leadership positions.
Roya Rahmani said Muslim women could introduce a narrative of a "dynamic Muslim", proving that religion is not a static force.
On 14 December 2018, Roya Rahmani was appointed Ambassador to the United States by President Ghani, the first woman to hold the position.
Roya Rahmani took up the post just as President Trump announced his intention to withdraw troops from her country.
Ambassador Roya Rahmani served as Afghanistan's non-resident ambassador to Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic.
Roya Rahmani spent several years working at nonprofits that focused on women's rights and education.
Roya Rahmani worked with Musawah to reform a marriage contract in Afghanistan to ensure more equitable family rights.
Roya Rahmani took part in the inaugural Indonesian Congress of Women Ulama while serving as ambassador to Indonesia.
Roya Rahmani has consistently said that a peace deal that ignores half of the population will not work.
Roya Rahmani argues the essential role of women in the peace process makes women's rights not just an ethical issue, but a matter of national security.
Roya Rahmani has spoken repeatedly on the need for the Taliban to directly engage with Afghan society and government if they are to become a part of it.
Pajhwok Afghan News has released a series of media reports making accusations against Roya Rahmani, including regarding a construction project at the DC embassy.
Roya Rahmani released an article via Afghan media platform 8AM denying the accusations and calling for a full investigation.
Roya Rahmani alleged that she has experienced repeated unfounded attacks from local news agencies.
Roya Rahmani is married and has one daughter, born in 2014.
Roya Rahmani is a fluent speaker of Dari, Pashto, and English, and has a basic understanding of Urdu and French.