Mary Akrami

Mary Akrami, born on January first, two thousand, is a prominent women's rights activist known for her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of women in Afghanistan. As the director of the Afghan Women Skills Development Center, she has played a pivotal role in advocating for women's rights and empowerment in a challenging socio-political landscape.

In two thousand one, Akrami represented Afghan civil society at the Bonn Conference, marking a significant moment in her career. Two years later, she opened the first women's shelter in Kabul through the Afghan Women Skills Development Center. This shelter has become a sanctuary for women in need, offering essential services such as legal advice, literacy classes, psychological counseling, and basic skills training.

Under Akrami's dedicated leadership, the shelter has witnessed remarkable transformations. Many women have found the courage to publicly denounce their abusers and pursue legal action against them, a groundbreaking development in a society where such actions were previously unheard of. Despite facing threats due to her work, Akrami remains on call twenty-four hours a day, demonstrating her unwavering commitment to the cause.

Her efforts have not gone unnoticed; in two thousand seven, she received the International Women of Courage Award, and in two thousand sixteen, she was honored in the BBC 100 Women list as one of the year's most inspirational and influential women.