Maryam Rayed | |
|---|---|
| Born | Afghanistan |
| Education | Georgetown University (MA) Kabul University (BA, MA) |
| Occupation | Human rights advocate |
| Known for | Advocacy for women's rights in Afghanistan |
| Awards | Advocate of the Year by Women in Government Relations (2022) |
Maryam Rayed is an Afghan women's rights advocate known for her work on peace and gender equality in Afghanistan. She previously served as deputy director of Foreign Relations and Human Rights at the State Ministry for Peace and founded the Afghanistan Women's Think Tank. [1] [2]
Rayed earned a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Philosophy and a master's degree in Gender and Women's Studies from Kabul University. She received a Fulbright scholarship to study at Georgetown University in the United States, where she completed a master's degree in Governance and Democracy with a focus on institution building and governance assistance. [3] [4] She also participated in the Erasmus Plus program, studying in Poland and Germany.
Rayed served as deputy director of Foreign Relations and Human Rights at the State Ministry for Peace in Afghanistan, where she worked on women's rights issues in peace and security discussions. She founded the Afghanistan Women's Think Tank, an organization focused on peace and stability through gender-focused research and advocacy. She also co-founded Democracy Pen, a nonprofit organization advocating for democracy, women's education, and press freedom in Afghanistan. [1]
Following the collapse of the Afghan government in August 2021, Rayed relocated to the United States. [5] [6]
In 2022, Rayed received the Advocate of the Year award from Women in Government Relations for her work in women's political empowerment. [1]