Azra Jafari was named by President Hamid Karzai

Hamid Karzai

Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...

 as mayor of Nili

Nili District

Nili is a district in Daykundi Province, Afghanistan. The main town in the district, also called Nili is the capital of Daykundi Province. The town of Nili is at 2,022 m altitude and has a small airport with a gravel runway and a commercial radio station...

, the capital of Daykundi Province in December 2008, thus becoming Afghanistan's first female city mayor. She was a refugee in Iran for several years under the Taliban. After the US coalition invasion toppled the Taliban in 2001, she returned to Afghanistan and participated in the Loya Jirga

Loya jirga

A loya jirga is a type of jirga regarded as "grand assembly," a phrase in the Pashto language meaning "grand council." A loya jirga is a mass meeting usually prepared for major events such as choosing a new king, adopting a constitution, or discussing important national political or emergency...

 (grand national council).

Jafari is married and has a daughter born in 2004. Her husband, Malek Shafi'i

Malek Shafi'i

-Biography:Born in 1971, Shafi’i has been making documentary films in and outside of Afghanistan for the last 8 years. He completed his education at Baagh Ferdaws Islamic Film making Center in 1999 in Iran, and additionally attended a film production course in the Netherlands.Coming back to...

, is a filmmaker in Kabul.

Books

• I Am a Working Woman (2008) - the rights of Afghan women in the labor market and in the labor laws
• The Making of the New Constitution of Afghanistan (2003) (contributor)
• Azra Jafari wins Meeto Memorial Award for Young South Asians 2011

( http://www.infochangepakistan.net/Blog/ViewPost.aspx?pageid=2&ItemID=989&mid=2)

Azra Jafari's Activities

6/2007–10/2007 Public Education Officer, Afghan-Pak Joint Peace Jirga (Grand Summit), Kabul, Afghanistan

• Organized and conducted public engagement seminars
• Designed and published promotional material; posters, brochures and pamphlets
• Played an active role as a member of the Jirga Auditory Committee
• Planned and executed the logistical facilitation of the Jirga
• Compiled post-event reporting and assessment
• Took part in the financial reporting of the summit

12/2003–1/2005 Director, International Federation Business and Professional Women, Kabul, Afghanistan

• Organized a training program in handicrafts for 30 women participants
• Trained women on how to market their products in Italy
• Implemented a systematic followup, support and skill building workshops for the program graduates
• Organized and conducted short-term literacy programs and periodic basic computer classes
• Assessed, developed and delivered basic women hairdressing and beauty saloon training programs
• Planned and executed successful fund raising events
• Managed finances of the entire program
• Developed recruitment and outreach strategies
• Expanded sales to include mass-market accounts.

2002–2003 Reporter and Researcher, Constitution Commission of Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan

• Took minutes and reported on the proceedings of the plenary sessions of the Review Commission
• Reported on the proceedings of the plenary sessions of the Constitutional Loya Jirga.
• Researched and studied other countries’ constitutions, specially those in the region with Islamic traditions, and gathered the compiled research and sent it to the Review Commission members
• Collected and analyzed opinions about the Constitution from the public media and people
• Analyzed the questionnaires on the Constitution
• Took minutes and reported on the Executive Committee sessions

2002–2003 Deputy Director, Equal Right Association, Kabul, Afghanistan

• Took part in the recruitment process and made final recruitment decisions
• Monitored and coordinated all activities, including the finance, operation and procurement
• Organized and planned seminars and workshops
• Cooperated with different departments on their policy making and project implementation
• Made all the contracts with the donor agencies

2001 Member of Emergency Loya Jirga Grant summit, Kabul, Afghanistan

• Took part in the election of the President for the Transitional Government of Afghanistan
• Facilitated a 3-day seminar for the female members of Emergency Loya Jirga
• Contributed in all the decisions made in the Jirga

1994–2001 Officer in Charge, Refugees’ Cultural Centre, Iran

• Established an elementary school for the Afghan refugees
• Managed the school with 1000 students
• Managed and recruited teachers (male and female)
• Managed the consultation centre based in the school
• Succeeded in obtaining 300 full scholarships for the school graduates
• Held and managed pedagogy classes for over 200 teachers

1998–2000 Editor-in-Chief, Farhang Magazine, Iran

• Managed the editorial staff meetings
• Checked and approved articles for publication
• Monitored and supervised the printing and distribution process

Interview

• Women's rights worsened Reuters
• گفتگو با نخستین شهردار زن DW-World
• اولین شهردار زن در افغانستان Zamaaneh
• نخستین شهردار زن در افغانستان منصوب شد BBC Persian

External links

• http://www.cacakabul.org/Azra.htm
• Interview with Reuters
• بی بی سی اولین شهردار زن
• رویا نویستی
• http://www.mtholyoke.edu/~carve22r/classweb/.../azbiography.html