Country of Origin: Afghanistan

Main Focus: Women's Rights, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Legal Reform

Follow on: Twitter and Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission

Shabnam Salehi, a prominent women's rights activist and scholar from Afghanistan, serves as a visiting researcher at the University of Ottawa. Her academic career commenced in 2012 at Kabul University, where she specialized in human rights, gender equality, and women empowerment. Beyond her role as an assistant professor, she has taught policy, research, and leadership in private institutions and conducted extensive research on gender-based policy reforms.

From 2019 to 2021, Shabnam led the Women's rights Promotion and Protection Unit (WPU) in the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC). Her innovative leadership resulted in restructuring the WPU, enhancing its potential, and spearheading interventions that advanced women's rights.

As an activist, Shabnam championed women's participation in all aspects of life, focusing on decision-making training, law reform, and policy changes concerning marriage, virginity tests, divorce, transgender rights, sexual harassment, violence against women, and the rights of female prisoners and victims.

Since relocating abroad in 2021, Shabnam continues her advocacy work for women's rights in Afghanistan, emphasizing monitoring and evaluating ongoing efforts. Her multi-dimensional contributions to academia, leadership, legal reform, and activism signify her unwavering dedication to women's rights and gender equality, making her a vital figure in the movement, both in Afghanistan and internationally.

Read Shabnam’s blog: Gender Persecution in Afghanistan: Implications for ICC Investigation