AFGHANISTAN'S MALALAI JOYA Speaking Tour

Malalai Joya: A Woman Among Warlords, Prospects for Afghan Women and Non-intervention in my Country.

On the 12th anniversary of the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, UNAC, in conjunction with the Afghan Women's Mission is sponsoring a national tour of former Afghanistan legislator, women’s rights and antiwar leader, Malalai Joya in October. Please see the Schedule below. For more information on the itinerary in each city, please contact the local organizer for the city listed below or email UNAC's Malalai Joya National Tour Coordinator, Jeff Mackler at jmackler [at] lmi.net or UNACpeace [at] gmail.com

Malalai Joya: A Brief Biography

Malalai Joya, 35, first gained international attention in 2003 when she spoke out publicly against the domination of warlords in Afghanistan. She was at that time serving as an elected delegate to the Loya Jirga that was convened to ratify the Constitution of Afghanistan. In 2005 she became one of 68 women elected to the 249-seat National Assembly, or Wolesi Jirga, and was the youngest member of the Afghan parliament.

An extraordinary young woman raised in the refugee camps of Iran and Pakistan, Joya became a teacher in secret girls’ schools, hiding her books under her burqa so the Taliban couldn’t find them; she helped establish a free medical clinic and orphanage in her impoverished home province of Farah.

In 2007 she spoke out against former warlords and war criminals in the Afghan parliament and was thereupon suspended from the parliament. Since then she has survived six assassination attempts. She travels in Afghanistan with armed guards and has worked tirelessly on behalf of Afghan women and to end the occupation of her country.

In 2010, Time Magazine placed Malalai Joya on their annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. Foreign Policy Magazine listed her in its annual list of the Top 100 Global Thinkers. In March, 2011, The Guardian listed her among the "Top 100 women activists and campaigners."

Her widely praised book, “A Woman Among Warlords: The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice,” was published 2009 by Scribner in the U.S. The ebook version was published by Simon and Schuster.