Zarifa

A Woman's Battle in a Man's World

By: Zarifa Ghafari, Hannah Lucinda Smith

Narrated by: Ariana Delawari

A moving and inspiring memoir by Afghanistan's youngest female mayor and campaigner for human rights.

I am one of the lucky ones.

I got out of Afghanistan alive when the Taliban retook the country. Millions of others did not - they are now living under one of the world's most repressive regimes, with any progress that was made for women over the past twenty years being brutally reversed.

Every day, I yearn for my motherland. Now it is my duty to make sure that the world knows what is happening to women there, and what we must do to
change things for them.

Zarifa Ghafari was three years old when the Taliban banned girls from schools, and she began her education in secret. She was seven when American airstrikes began. She was twenty-six when she became mayor - the only female mayor in the country - of Maidan Wardak, Kabul. An extremist mob barred her from her office; her male staff walked out in protest; assassins tried to kill her six times. Finally, they killed their father. Ghafari stood her ground. She ended corruption in the province, promoted peace and tried to lift up women, despite constant fear for herself and her family. When the Taliban took Kabul in 2021, Ghafari had to flee, narrowly escaping the country on one of the last flights out of Kabul and finding refuge in Germany.

Zarifa is an astonishing memoir that offers an unparalleled perspective of the last two decades in Afghanistan. Written with honesty, pain and ultimately, hope, Ghafari describes the work she did, the women she still tries to help as they live under Taliban rule and her vision for how grassroots activism can change their lives and the lives of women everywhere.

Critic reviews

“Anyone wanting to know the grim reality of being a woman in Afghanistan and trying to make a difference could not find a more illuminating book. Zarifa will break your heart.”—Christina Lamb, OBE, chief foreign correspondent, The Sunday Times

“Zarifa’s words, like her life, are an act of courage, weaving heartache with hope. They illuminate all the things we take for granted, especially the ordinary moments, the daily freedoms, and most intimate of relationships. They illuminate the threads that connect our rights, freedoms, and happiness into an interconnected whole.”—Shubhangi Swarup, author of Latitudes of Longing

“Ghafari tells her inspiring life story with sincerity and passion, providing a nuanced and, at times, horrifying glimpse into Afghanistan’s devastating history… A searingly honest, profoundly courageous memoir of one fearless woman’s fight for her homeland.”—Kirkus, starred review

Powerful and Life-changing

This memoir is a tragic but beautiful picture of strong womanhood, and a living tribute to the people and countryside of Afghanistan. Every western man and woman should read this book for a clearer view of what life is truly like there.

heavystory

I visited Afghanistan yrsago love the people and their culture...grateful for opportunity to hear her story..thank you

A must read do all women worldwide

I could not stop listening to the gripping story of Zarifa’s life experiences. I volunteer with refugee families from Afghanistan who have come to the US, and am so grateful to listen to this eye-opening book about her story. Thank you for sharing your experiences, and for your work so far Zarifa, and I will say a prayer of peace over you tonight.