Afghan Biographies

Ghafari, Zarifa Mrs.


Name Ghafari, Zarifa Mrs.
Ethnic backgr. Pashtun
Date of birth 1992
Function/Grade Ex Maidan Shar Mayor Maidan Wardak Province
History and Biodata

1. Former Maidan Shar Mayor:
Mrs. Zarfia Ghafari (20180700)

2. Previous Function:
Afghan Wolise Ghorzang (2013)
Head Loy Afghanistan National Movement (2014-2015)
Founder NGO Assistance and Promotion of Afghan Women (APAW)  (20150400)
Drector Peghia FM Radio Maidan Wardak (20160500)
Member Youth Parliament Maidan Wardak (20160800)
Mayor Municipalitiy of Maidan Shar (20180700)

3. Biodata:
Mrs. Zarifa Ghafari daughter of Abdul Wasi Ghafari was born 1992 in Kabul and she is basically from Dawran Khel village of Chak District of Maidan Wardak province. As the oldest of eight siblings, she took responsibility early, fetched water, went shopping and took care of her siblings. The Taliban came to power when she was four years old. Nevertheless, she wore her hair short, dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. She learned to cover herself quickly when the Taliban were around. She hails from Paktia Province. Seh went to Halima Khazan Highschool, Gardez, Paktia Province (2007-2009) and later to Punjab University, Delhi, India, where she was awarded B.A.. and M.A. Economics (2009-2015). She has a mother and three sisters and three brothers. (20210722)
 

Zarifa Ghafari was appointed as the mayor of Maidan Shahr city in July 2018 and was due to assume office during a ceremony on Saturday, Dec 15, 2018. She has reportedly been barred from assuming office as the newly-appointed mayor due to the intervention of influential figures. Ghafari has said she has been residing in Kabul for the past five months and has not been able to assume charge of Maidan Shahr municipality so far.

Ghafari was not elected. In a public tender, she applied for the post of mayor, the only woman among 138 candidates. Organizing local elections would be a major organizational and financial burden for the country - and dangerous on top of that.
 

She was appointed as the mayor of Maidan Shahr based on a presidential decree and her appointment was confirmed by the provincial government as per decree. According to Ghafari, she has been barred from assuming the office due to the interventions of Haji Ghulam Mohammad who is the brother of Haji Mohammad Musa, president Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai’s aide. Haji Ghulam has confirmed his intervention and claims that Ghafari has been elected as the mayor by committing forgery.(20181216).

The US Department of State has picked Zarifa Ghafari, mayor of Maidan Shahr, the capital of central Maidan Wardak province for the annual International Women of Courage (IWOC) award.(20200304) Awards: She was listed in 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2019 by BBC, she was awarded as International Women of Courage by US Secretary of State at 4th March-2020, she was listed The Badass 50 2020: Women Who Can Change the World by InStyle.

Unknown gunmen opened fire on the vehicle of Zarifa Ghafari, the mayor of Maidan Sher in Maidan Wardak province, in Kabul city on Sunday, March 22, 2020 afternoon, Ghafari said. Her father, 53, was a commander in the Special Operations Corps, a high-profile job in a unit that was especially loathed by the Taliban because of its effectiveness.(20200322)

Maidan Shahr City Mayor Zarifa Ghafari survived an armed attack in Kabul. Ghafari was on her way to Maidan Shahr, the capital of central Maidan Wardak province, when came under attack in Arghandi locality. (202001003)

The United States unreservedly condemns the latest attempted assassination of the mayor of Maidan Shar, in Wardak Province, Afghanistan, Mayor Zarifa Ghafari. She is a recipient of the 2020 International Women of Courage award, and this is the sixth assassination attempt she has survived.(20201005)

The reason for the killing of her father, Abdul Wasi Ghafari, an Afghan Army colonel, was unclear. Was it just one more in a flurry of anonymous, targeted killings in Kabul? Or was it retaliation for Ghafari’s recent firing of several subordinates, which drew the latest in a series of death threats against her?

Mrs. Zarifa Ghafari, the former mayor of Maidan Shahr in Maidan Wardak province, has returned to Afghanistan.(202220227)

Two weeks later, Ghafari left the country again and started criticizing the Taliban regime for its policies toward women.

Last month, Ghafari described Afghanistan as “a prison for women” and challenged a senior Taliban official to bring his own daughters to the country.


She speaks Pashtu, Dari, Urdu and English

Last Modified 2022-09-13
Established 2018-12-16