Pashtana Durrani is an Afghan feminist, activist, and educator. At a very young age she founded LEARN Afghanistan, which is the first-ever digital school network to be present in Afghanistan. After the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, Pashtana was forced into exile, like so many other people trying to escape the many new risks facing women. Whilst the international risk environment is complex in 2023, the situation in Afghanistan warrants continued attention.
Durrani is currently a visiting fellow at Wellesley Centers for Women, where she has pursued her research on female education and maternal and newborn health.
Durrani is also a member of UNGEI’s Feminist Education Coalition as well as an Aspen New Voices Fellow.
Durrani is a regular commentator on TV and radio and has been the subject of articles and profiles including on several news outlets such as PBS , BBC , Elle ,Der Spiegel and Wellesley College.
Previously she was a global youth representative for Amnesty International and a board member of the steering committee for the Global Environment Facility.
Durrani has had multiple achievements and nominations. Pashtana was named a Global Education Champion by the Malala Fund for her outstanding work in Afghanistan that has helped many young girls’ educational path. She was also nominated by the BBC as one of its 100 most influential women 2021 . Moreover, she was also included in #Times100talks in 2022 and she has received the 2021 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Emerging Leader prize. Lastly, Pashtana is also a recipient of the UN Young Activists Award 2022.
Durrani has an upcoming biography, “Last to Eat, Last to Learn”, soon to be published.
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