Pashtana Durrani is an Afghan feminist, activist, and educator. At the age of 21, she became the head of her family following her father’s passing. By then she had already founded LEARN Afghanistan, the country’s first-ever digital school network. Forced into exile by the Taliban takeover in 2021 she is currently a visiting fellow at Wellesley Centers for Women while continuing to provide education for hundreds of girls in Afghanistan despite the current ban on them attending school.
Known for her bluntness and courage, Durrani is a regular commentator on TV and radio and has been the subject of articles and profiles including PBS , BBC , Elle (in French), Der Spiegel (in German) and Wellesley College.
During her time at Wellesley, Durrani is continuing her research on female education and maternal and newborn health.
Achievements
Durrani has been named a Global Education Champion by the Malala Fund for her outstanding work to advance Afghan girls’ education. The BBC nominated her as one of its 100 most influential women 2021 and she is also included in #Times100talks in 2022. Durrani is a member of UNGEI’s Feminist Education Coalition, she is an Aspen New Voices Fellow and she received the 2021 Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Emerging Leader prize. Previously she has served as a global youth representative for Amnesty International and as a board member of the steering committee for the Global Environment Facility. She is a recipient of a UN Young Activists Award 2022. She received Global Citizen Award for Human Right 2023. Moreover, she is winner of the Prestigious Open Sociey Prize on behalf of Afghan Women and girls 2023.Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award Winner 2023
