Maryam Rayed

Last updated
Maryam Rayed
MaryamRayed.jpg
Afghan human rights advocate and Fulbright Scholar
Born
Afghanistan
Education Georgetown University, M.A. in Governance and Democracy; Kabul University, B.A. in Sociology and Philosophy, M.A. in Gender and Women's Studies
Occupation(s)Human rights advocate, previous Deputy Director of Foreign Relations and Human Rights at the State Ministry for Peace
Known forAdvocacy for women's rights and peace in Afghanistan; Founding the Afghanistan Women's Think Tank
AwardsAdvocate of the Year by Women in Government Relations (2022)

Maryam Rayed is an Afghan advocate for human rights, known for her contributions to peace, freedom, and equality, with a focus on the empowerment of women and youth in Afghanistan. Rayed's advocacy is grounded in her experiences growing up during the Taliban's first rule in Afghanistan, which has informed her commitment to gender-inclusive discussions on peace and security. [1] [2]

Contents

Early life and education

Born and raised in Afghanistan, Rayed completed her undergraduate studies at Kabul University, where she received a bachelor's degree in Sociology and Philosophy. She later earned a master's degree in Gender and Women's Studies from the same institution. As a Fulbright scholar, she pursued further education at Georgetown University, USA, specializing in Governance and Democracy. Her studies concentrated on institution building, governance assistance, and the analysis of institutional fragility, conflict, and community resilience. Rayed's academic experience includes participation in the Erasmus Plus program, with studies in Poland and Germany. She is proficient in Farsi/Dari and Pashto and has a working knowledge of Arabic and Urdu. [3] [4]

Career and advocacy

Rayed has served as the deputy director of Foreign Relations and Human Rights at the State Ministry for Peace in Afghanistan, where she worked on incorporating women's rights into peace and security dialogues. She is the founder of the Afghanistan Women's Think Tank, which aims to enhance peace and stability through a gender-focused approach to research and advocacy. Furthermore, Rayed co-founded Democracy Pen, a nonprofit advocating for democracy, women's education, and freedom of the press. [1]

Her has also advocated for international solidarity among women's movements and addressing the challenges faced by women in Afghanistan, Iran, and areas under authoritarian regimes. Rayed emphasizes the inclusion of marginalized voices in global discussions to promote women's dignity and equality. [1]

Awards and recognition

In 2022, Rayed received the Advocate of the Year award from Women in Government Relations, a US-based entity. This recognition, marking her as an Advocate on the Rise, was the first of its kind awarded to an Afghan woman for her activism and advocacy in women's political empowerment. [1]

Personal life

After Afghanistan's government collapse in 2021, Rayed entered political exile in the United States. There, she continues her advocacy and academic endeavors, focusing on the rights of Afghan women and contributing to the global gender equality movement. [5] [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Habiba Sarābi</span> Afghan Hazara politician (born 1956)

Dr. Habiba Sarābi is a hematologist, politician, and reformer of the reconstruction of Afghanistan after the Taliban first took power. In 2005, she was appointed as Governor of Bamyan Province - the first Afghan woman to become a provincial governor. She had served as Afghanistan's Minister of Women's Affairs and as Minister of Culture and Education. Sarabi was instrumental in promoting women's rights and representation and environmental issues. She belongs to the ethnic Hazara people of Afghanistan. Her last name is sometimes spelled Sarobi.

Islamic feminism is a form of feminism concerned with the role of women in Islam. It aims for the full equality of all Muslims, regardless of gender, in public and private life. Islamic feminists advocate for women's rights, gender equality, and social justice grounded in an Islamic framework. Although rooted in Islam, the movement's pioneers have also utilized secular, Western, or otherwise non-Muslim feminist discourses, and have recognized the role of Islamic feminism as part of an integrated global feminist movement.

Maryam may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WOUGNET</span> Non-governmental organization in Uganda

Women of Uganda Network (WOUGNET) also known as Women of Uganda Network Development Limited is Ugandan non-governmental organization that aids women and women's organisations in the use and access of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to share information and address issues their concerns such as gender norms, advocating for their rights and building communities and businesses through education.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women in Afghanistan</span>

Women's rights in Afghanistan have varied greatly depending on the time period as well as the regime in power. After King Amanullah Khan's attempts to modernize the country in the 1920s, women officially gained equality under the 1964 Constitution. However, these rights were taken away in the 1990s through different temporary rulers such as the mujahideen and the Taliban during the Afghan civil war. During the first Taliban regime (1996–2001), women had very little to no freedom, specifically in terms of civil liberties. When the Taliban was overthrown by the United States following the September 11 attacks, women's rights gradually improved under the presidential Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Women were de jure equal to men under the 2004 Constitution.

The Afghan Women's Council (AWC) is a non-governmental, non-profit, and non-sectarian charitable organization that was established in 1986 with the primary objective of providing assistance to Afghan women and children. The organization's core mission is to empower women, enhance their living conditions, and bolster their socio-economic standing within society through active participation in various development initiatives. They also hope to increase awareness of human rights, women’s rights, refugee rights, children’s rights, peace-building and democracy issues within the Afghan context. The AWC is duly registered with both the Government of Pakistan and the Government of Afghanistan as a charitable non-governmental organization (NGO).

Feminism in Thailand is perpetuated by many of the same traditional feminist theory foundations, though Thai feminism is facilitated through a medium of social movement activist groups within Thailand's illiberal democracy. The Thai State claims to function as a civil society with an intersectionality between gender inequality and activism in its political spheres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryam Durani</span> Womens rights activist

Maryam Durani is an Afghan activist and women's advocate. In 2012 she received the International Women of Courage Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sima Wali</span> Afghan human rights advocate

Sima Wali was one of the foremost Afghan human rights advocates in the world, serving as an international campaigner for the liberties and empowerment of refugee and internally displaced populations. She was the Chief Executive Officer of Refugee Women in Development (RefWID), Inc., a global non-profit organization that advocated for the civil rights of refugee women and girls fleeing from conflict and for their equitable reintegration into their societies. She was also the vice president of the Sisterhood Is Global Institute, the world’s first feminist think tank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shamila Kohestani</span> Afghan footballer

Shamila Kohestani is an Afghan footballer, and the former captain of the Afghanistan women's national football team. She attended boarding school in the United States at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. In 2007, she scored six goals at the women's team's first tournament. In 2006, she won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan and Central Asian Association</span> Charitable incorporated organisation

Afghanistan and Central Asian Association (ACAA) is a charitable incorporated organisation that supports London's refugee community and the Afghan diaspora in the United Kingdom. The organisation also campaigns for human rights, democracy and the fair treatment of refugees in Afghanistan and around the world. The charity has a dual mission of supporting the successful integration of refugees into Britain through grassroots service provision and of advocating for the promotion of human rights and fair treatment of refugees globally through hosting events and international conferences. The ACAA is the only London-based charity supporting Afghan and Central Asian migrants that has a community centre, running a variety of services, such as ESOL classes and a legal aid clinic, to help refugees integrate as well as hosting regular cultural events and international conferences to raise awareness of the plight of refugees. In 2018 the ACAA was awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service. and in 2019 won the Refugee Support Service of the Year Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fereshteh Forough</span> Afghan social activist and CEO

Fereshteh Forough is an Afghan social activist and the CEO and founder of Code to Inspire (CTI), the first coding school for girls in Afghanistan. She is an advocate for gender equality and the empowerment of women in developing countries through digital literacy, education, and financial independence.

Foreign aid for gender equality in Jordan includes programs funded by governments or non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that aim to empower women, close gender based gaps in opportunity and experience, and promote equal access to education, economic empowerment, and political representation in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roya Rahmani</span> Afghan diplomat

Roya Rahmani 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. She is currently the Chair of the international advisory company in development finance — Delphos International LTD. She is also 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. From 2016 to 2018, she served as Afghanistan's first female ambassador to Indonesia, first ever ambassador to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and non-resident ambassador to Singapore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carla Koppell</span> American academic (born 1966)

Carla Ravi Koppell is an American academic who serves as interim Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. As part of her work she collaborates with the Volcker Alliance to spearhead the University Leadership Council on Diversity and Inclusion in International Affairs. In that role, she works with deans of graduate schools of public policy and international affairs to incorporate attention to diversity and inclusion in their curricula and programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hasina Jalal</span> Afghan activist

Hasina Jalal is an advocate for women's rights and democracy in Afghanistan. In 2014, Jalal was elected by public vote to receive the "N-Peace Award" from the UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Office and the UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on the University for Peace. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the National Association of Afghanistan Civil Society and the first alliance of South Asian women on women's economic, social, and cultural rights in Sri Lanka. Jalal served in the government of Afghanistan as a research team lead and policy expert at the Presidential Palace and as a Policy Advisor to Minister and Director of Program Design and Donor Coordination Directorate at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of the Government of Afghanistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Action for Development</span> Ugandan NGO

Action for Development (ACFODE) is an indigenous (Ugandan) non government Women Association founded by women academicians; Dr Joy Kwesiga, Dr Hilda Tadria and Dr Ruth Mukama with the help of Maxine Ankra with the aim of incorporating ideas discussed during the United Nations World Conference on Women held in July 1985 in Nairobi, Kenya. Uganda had been denied entry into the conference because of the prevailing political climate at the time, thus the need to start an organization that would champion women issues without government interference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crystal Bayat</span> Afghan social activist and human rights advocate

Crystal Bayat is an Afghan social activist and human rights advocate known for her protests against the Taliban takeover, advocacy for women rights and political activism inside and outside Afghanistan. A native of the Ghazni province, Shia (coming from the Bayat family, a Turkic ethnicity minority, Bayat was born in 1997 in Kabul. She grew up most of her life with democracy and positive societal changes. She is currently continuing the fight to preserve Afghan human right's achievements as an agent of change.

<i>Gender and International Aid in Afghanistan</i> 2009 book by Lina AbiRafeh

Gender and International Aid in Afghanistan: The Politics and Effects of Intervention is a 2009 book by Lina AbiRafeh.

Feminism in Zambia entails with the organized efforts to improve the rights of the girls and women in Zambia. However, it was in the 1960s and 1970s that modern feminist movement started gaining force in Zambia through the establishment of groups such as the Zambia Women's League and other related thematically organized movements in different spheres, that is, women's ministries under ministries dealing with labor issues.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Afghan women's rights activist recognized as the advocate of the year". Khaama Press . 2022-10-05. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  2. "The Asia Foundation Selects William P. Fuller Fellows in Peacebuilding". The Asia Foundation . 2023-07-24. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  3. "No peace without women: Afghan activists on why women's representation matters". UN Women . 2022-11-02. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  4. "Maryam Rayed Bio". The Advocacy Project. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  5. "Afghan Students in US Face Uncertain Future". Voice of America . 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2024-02-25.
  6. "Afghan students in US fearful of returning home under Taliban regime". The Statesman (India) . 2022-01-24. Retrieved 2024-02-25.