Fatima Gailani
Fatima Gailani(Pashto:فاطمه گیلانی;born inKabulin 1954)[1]is an Afghan political leader and women's rights activist, who previously served as president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society. She was recognized as one of theBBC's 100 womenof 2021.[2]
Early life and education
[edit]Gailani is the daughter ofAhmed Gailani,the founder of theNational Islamic Front of Afghanistan(NIFA) who fought against the Soviets in theSoviet–Afghan War.She graduated secondary school from theCentre d'Enseignement Français en Afghanistan.[3]She then earned a master's degree in Persian literature from theNational University of Iranand a degree in Islamic studies from theMuslim Collegein London.
Career
[edit]While in exile in London during the 1980s, Gailani served as spokesperson for the NIFA Party in the West.[4][5]
After the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 1996, Gailani convincedMuhammad Sayyid Tantawy,theGrand Imam of al-Azhar,to issue afatwacondemning the Taliban's ban on girls’ education. After the Taliban regime fell in 2001, she returned to Afghanistan as a delegate in the2002 loya jirgaand then to participate in drafting a new constitution.[6]
From 2005 to 2016, Gailani served as president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society.[7][8]In 2017, she served as chair of the Red Cross Conference.[9]
During theAfghan peace processafter 2018, she served as a member of the Afghan government's negotiating team.[10]While recovering from cancer, she was one of only four women to have participated in talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar in 2020.[11][12]
After theFall of Kabulin August 2021, she stated that the negotiating team had been close to a peace deal "and then oops, the President has disappeared. For God’s sake."[13][14]
Other activities
[edit]- International Crisis Group(ICG), Board of Trustees (since 2024)[15]
Recognition
[edit]Gailani was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2021.[16]
References
[edit]- ^"Interview with Fatima Gailani"(PDF).International Review of the Red Cross.93(881): 1. March 2011.
- ^"BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?".BBC News.2021-12-07.Retrieved2022-12-16.
- ^"Fatima Gailani, President of the Afghan Red Crescent Society".IFRC.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Who are the Afghan women negotiating peace with the Taliban? | Asia".Al Jazeera.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"'Imported values' fail Afghan women | Asia News ".Al Jazeera.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Meet Fatima Gailani: The Afghan woman staring down the Taliban".smh.au.29 April 2021.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Afghanistan: How Fatima Gailani wants to make peace with the Taliban | World | Breaking news and perspectives from around the globe | DW | 09.10.2020".Deutsche Welle.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Humanitarian Workers Weigh In On Afghanistan".npr.org.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Fatima Gailani able help when others are not".redcross.fi.Archived fromthe originalon 2020-09-28.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Biography of Fatima Gailani, Member of the Negotiating Team of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | AfGOV".smp.gov.af.Archived fromthe originalon 2021-09-03.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^""This peace process is about women's rights": Afghan female negotiators push for more representation ".CBS News.13 April 2021.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Afghan negotiator: I'm worried about withdrawal without peace - CNN Video".cnn.15 April 2021.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"The Taliban are all smiles after the fall of Kabul but what will they do next?".smh.au.18 August 2021.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^"Fmr. diplomat: Afghan civil war 'has already started' - CNN Video".edition.cnn.15 July 2021.Retrieved2021-08-25.
- ^Crisis Group Welcomes Five New Trustees to its BoardInternational Crisis Group(ICG), press release of 31 January 2024.
- ^"BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?".BBC News.2021-12-07.Retrieved2022-12-16.
External links
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