21 Facts About Zarifa Ghafari

Zarifa Ghafari is known for her efforts to advance women's rights in Afghanistan.

Zarifa Ghafari was chosen as an International Woman of Courage in 2020 by the US Secretary of State.

Zarifa Ghafari was the first born of eight children born to Abdul Wasi Ghafari, an Afghan Army colonel and commander in the Special Operations Corps.

Zarifa Ghafari was not allowed to be educated but she attended a clandestine school.

Zarifa Ghafari had to again attend Halima Khazan High School in secret after her father was sent to work in Paktia.

Zarifa Ghafari's parents did not want her to attend because of a suicide attack on the school.

Zarifa Ghafari was hospitalised later when she was caught in the blast of a bomb that killed the provincial governor.

Zarifa Ghafari's father was gunned down by the militants in front of his house in Kabul on November 5,2020.

Zarifa Ghafari attended Panjab University, Chandigarh, India only because she had obtained a scholarship.

Zarifa Ghafari's parents had already refused her to go to Shaikh Zayed University because they did not want her to be living alone.

Zarifa Ghafari's degree was in economics and she could have lived in Chandigarh but she decided to return home.

Zarifa Ghafari was officially appointed as the mayor of Maidan Shahr in July 2018 by President Ashraf Ghani.

Zarifa Ghafari was sworn in as mayor of the Maidan Shahr in March 2019.

Zarifa Ghafari was able to introduce an anti-litter campaign in her town and she is a role model to other women.

Zarifa Ghafari stayed in Bonn or Dusseldorf for six months before she decided to leave Germany and return to her home country.

Zarifa Ghafari discussed this with her fiancee, with the authorities in Kabul, a Netflix film crew and her biographer and then she returned relying on her profile to keep her safe.

Zarifa Ghafari's first post on social media was a photo of her at her father's grave.

Zarifa Ghafari was only there for days but although she noticed the improvements in security she saw that women rights were dramatically reduced and they were banned from public places like parks and fun fairs.

In December 2024, Zarifa Ghafari was enrolled in a Master's program at Cornell University.

Zarifa Ghafari was listed in 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019 by BBC.

Zarifa Ghafari was chosen as an International Woman of Courage in 2020 by the US Secretary of State.