Fawzia KOOFI

Bio

Fawzia Koofi was a member of peace negotiation team representing Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Fawzia’s political family background and orientation to public service propelled her to take hold of the new opportunities that were paving the road for many women. She decided to run for a seat in parliament from the Badakhshan province, she was elected Member of Parliament from that province in September 2005, right after the first elected parliament after 33 years, Fawzia was elected as the first woman Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament in the history of Afghanistan, in 2010 she run for second time to parliament and won by a majority and not based a quota, she chaired parliament standing committee on women and human rights from 2010- 2019.

She was the member of and president of IPU’s committee on Human rights of parliamentarians from 2016-2019. After completing her baccalaureate degree, she entered a competitive medical school. But soon after the Taliban took over in September 1995, and barred women from access to all education! Finding the doors of a university education closed to her, Fawzia focused her energy on women’s right organizations, and worked closely with one of the most vulnerable group such as Internally Displaced People (IDP), and marginalized women and children. She continued working with UNICEF Afghanistan on women and children's rights especially back to school, Reintegration of Child soldiers and Child trafficking . She holds a bachelor's degree from Kabul University law and political sciences faculty and her Master on International relations and Human Rights from Geneva School of Diplomacy, from Geneva City.

Some of the key women’s initiatives that she has championed include the improvement of women’s living conditions in Afghan prisons, by approving resolutions, with her efforts a commission to work on the issue of violence against children is established, the commission was chaired by Afghanistan first vice president. She tabled many progressive laws protecting women and children including law on violence against women, anti harassment law on women and children, child act and contributed to laws that ensures protection of Human rights for citizen. With her support and influence the gender budget was established in the national budget. She promoted women and girls’ education, by advocating for access to good schools, as well as creating opportunities for non formal education for out of school children in her constituents, Badakhshan province.

She is the author of letters to my daughters and the favorite daughter book which is her auto biography. She has been titled as BBC 100 women, Young global leader by World Economic Forum, fearless mind of 2013 by times magazine, 50 great leaders by fortune magazine in 2021 and many more. She has been awarded many prestigious awards including women of knowledge, Minerva, Casa Asia diversity, Champion by Pet Tillerman foundation, Human Rights champion by Middle East Institute, Anna Politkovskaya, Women in War award and many more.

She is the leader of a newly established political party called Movement for Change in Afghanistan. Taliban put her under house arrest as soon as they captured Kabul, she eventually managed to flee Afghanistan. Since her flee from Kabul, she has travelled across the world to meet world leaders, Human rights Organizations and Civil Society activists to keep the focus in Afghanistan in terms of Humanitarian and Political crises, especially the repression of women and girls. She continue to lobby for full protection of women’s rights and warn the world leaders on the security consequences of ignoring women and people of Afghanistan. recently forced to leave Afghanistan due to security challenges, She was recently nominated for the Nobel peace prize which is a great accomplishment.