Famous Afghan Women

Afghan-American actress Annet Mahendru is best known for her role in the FX period drama series The Americans. Born in Afghanistan, she moved to USA as a young woman and studied improv at The Groundlings. She began acting by taking up small roles in TV shows. Since her debut, she has acted in many films and TV shows.

Mughal empress and the 20th wife of Emperor Jahangir, Nur Jahan is remembered for her political influence. Though nothing concrete is known about her childhood, it is known that she was initially married to Mughal official Sher Afgan Khan who died in a battle. Jahangir’s reckless lifestyle made her dominate the political scene.

Nur Jahan was the chief consort of Mughal emperor Jahangir. She reigned as Badshah Begum of the empire from 1620 to 1627. Nur Jahan is often credited with influencing Jahangir's decisions for much of his reign. She is also remembered for her strength and courage and her skills in hunting ferocious tigers. Her life has inspired many books and movies.

Afghan politician and women's rights activist Fawzia Koofi is the incumbent Member of the Wolesi Jirga for Badakhshan since 2005. She became the first woman in history of Afghanistan who served as Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament. She held office as Vice President of National Assembly and presently serves as Chairperson of Afghanistan's Women, Civil Society and Human Rights Commission.

Rula F. Saadah Ghani is the wife of Ashraf Ghani who served as fifth President of Afghanistan until his government was overthrown by the Taliban on August 15, 2021. The Ghani family fled from Afghanistan on the same day. Rula advocated for women’s rights as the First Lady and was named to the Time 100 list by Time magazine in 2015.

Niloofar Rahmani is the first woman in Afghanistan’s history who became fixed-wing Air Force aviator. She is Afghan Air Force’s first female pilot since 2001 fall of Taliban. Despite receiving death threats, Rahmani completed her training which included training on C-130s with the US Air Force. She received International Women of Courage Award and was granted asylum in the US.

Afghan socialist and Marxist-Leninist politician Anahita Ratebzad is noted as one of the first four women who were elected to the Afghan parliament during 1965 election. A member of People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) and Revolutionary Council, Ratebzad held significant positions including as Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the Revolutionary Council, and Member of the Politburo of PDPA.

Afghan physician and politician Fatima Aziz was elected as a Member of the Afghanistan Parliament for Kunduz province during the 2005 Afghan parliamentary election, the first free parliamentary election that was held in Afghanistan after over three-decades. She got re-elected in subsequent elections in 2010 and 2018 and held office as an MP till she died of cancer in 2021.

Afghan feminist politician and award-winning journalist Shukria Barakzai has previously been the Afghan ambassador to Norway. She has been under death threats from the Taliban for her views. She whispered voice notes from Kabul to the UK during the 2021 Taliban takeover and had a narrow escape from Afghanistan.

Afghan poet and journalist Nadia Anjuman published her first poetry collection, Gol-e Dudi, or Smokey Flower, when she was 25. Soon after the release of her book, she was beaten to death. It is largely believed that she was killed by her husband though the death was officially declared a suicide later.

Homeira Qaderi is an Afghan activist, writer, and educator. An advocate for women's rights, Qaderi was honored with the Malalai Medal for bravery at a young age. She found ways to educate herself despite Taliban's draconian edicts against women and received a Ph.D. from Jawaharlal Nehru University. She then fought to improve the situation of orphans and widows in Afghanistan.
 

Afghan woman Nadia Ghulam spent ten-years of her life posing as a boy, adopting identity of her dead brother, so that she can work to support her family while avoiding Taliban's strictures on women. She recollected her experiences in the 2010 book El secret del meu turbant that she co-authored with Agnès Rotger. It won Prudenci Bertrana Prize for fiction.

A champion for human rights and women’s rights, Afghan social activist Sima Samar has also been Afghanistan’s minister of women's affairs during the reign of President Hamid Karzai. The Right Livelihood Award winner is a doctor who has worked for the betterment of Afghan women and children.

Former Afghan ambassador to the US, Adela Raz also scripted history as the first female politician to be the Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations. She continued to serve as an ambassador even after the 2021 Taliban takeover but resigned in February 2022.

Afghan hematologist and politician Habiba Sarābi scripted history as Afghanistan’s first female governor when she became the governor of Bamiyan. She was also her country’s 2nd minister of women's affairs. The 2013 Ramon Magsaysay Award winner has also been a member of Afghanistan’s Peace Negotiation Team.

Former Afghan National Army brigadier general Khatool Mohammadzai scripted history as Afghanistan’s first female paratrooper. A 35-time decorated soldier, she has also worked as a military instructor. She was also the first female general since the Soviets left Afghanistan. In the Taliban regime of the 1990s, she ran a secret girls’ school.

The only known international model from Afghanistan, Zohre Esmaeli was 13 when she fled Afghanistan and its Taliban regime to move to Germany with her family. She has been featured in magazines such as Elle and Cosmopolitan and is associated with charitable initiatives such as Save Society.

Remembered as the Mother of the Afghan Nation, Nazo Tokhi, or Nāzo Anā, was an Afghan poetess and writer who wrote in Pashto language. She was the mother of the Hotak dynasty Afghan ruler Mirwais Hotak. She defended her fortress valiantly when her brother went to war after her father’s death in combat.