EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S VISION
Ms. Maryam Durani was Kandahar people’s representative in the provincial council during the first tenure until 2014 for ten years. She has served in different positions such as
1 - Head of Khadija Kubra women's association for culture, A Nonprofit organization women development organization registered in Afghanistan in 2004 seeks to improve women conditions in war-torn
Kandahar province.
2 - owner of Merman Radio (special women's radio), was established in 2010 to address gender inequalities in Kandahar province and bring women’s voices to the forefront. Merman Radio is empowering Kandahar’s youth especially women and media professionals to explore sensitive issues of gender, human rights, good governance, rule of law, in addition to economic, and social issues.
3 - Founder of Kandahar women's advocacy network, Kandahar Women's Network is an advocacy platform functioning for women’s empowerment since 2013. Kandahar women’s Network has 25 women led organizations as its members.
4- Founder of Malalai Maiwandi the first women’s internet café in the Afghanistan,to connect more women to the world in a safe and comfortable space! She opened Malalai Maiwandi women’s Internet Cafe on 25-Sep-2013 which is the first of its kind in Afghanistan. The girls could use the café for getting information about current affairs and obtain educational material, which is the main reason why she established the Café.
5 - Founder of House of learning (Institute of Modern studies for girls in Kandahar/Afghanistan), . House of leraning provides more than 600 women with the opportunity to receive education in Business Management, Information Technology, English and Communications. The House of learning programs provides students with the skills needed to obtain employment to support themselves and their families, improve their communities and participate in the reconstruction of Kandahar. Maryam Durani received World Ten Brave Women’s award on eight March 2012 as well as World 100 Influential Figure’s award on 20th April 2012 in 100 TIME Magazine, on 25th Sep 2013 she selected of 30 young activists by National Endowment for Democracy. On 24 may 2014 as first Afghan she received the four freedoms Medal for Freedom of Speech. She is an outspoken advocate for the rights of women and girls in Afghan society, as well as for basic civil rights for all Afghan citizens, and is determined to change the culture and perception of women’s roles in Afghanistan. Durani understands and accepts the risks to herself and her immediate and extended family of being a visible, young woman in such powerful and meaningful roles. In 2009 she was injured in an attempted assassination with a bomb that nearly took her life. The position she holds in the Kandahar Provincial Government is for a woman, extremely unusual given the conservative values in southern Afghanistan. Durani defies stereotypes and cultural norms and has become a strong role model for women who want to change their circumstances, both for themselves and for their families. She uses her position to aid in fostering justice, human rights, and overall basic freedoms for Kandahari women.
