Come meet Fatema Jafari, Member of the Herat Provincial Council, on Thursday, September 15 at World Fellows Night.
Fatema Jafari is a women’s rights advocate and public official recently reelected as a member of the Provincial Council of Herat, where she serves on a number of committees related to women’s rights in Afghanistan. As head of the family support committee, she facilitated the creation of an umbrella group of roughly 80 women’s organizations to help coordinate their efforts. Previously she participated in three loya jirgas (consultative councils) from 2009–2013. She has worked on several advocacy campaigns opposing violence against women and has pressed for greater respect for women’s rights at the national level. Since 2008, Fatema has also worked as deputy director of Neswan Association, an Afghan civil society organization dedicated to women’s vocational training. On April 2012, Fatema was invited to the U.S. for the International Visitors Leadership Program, where she obtained training on good governance. Fatema is a frequent contributor to media programs and TV shows, speaking about women’s rights and women’s political participation.