A00003 - Maryam Durani, Afghan Activist Who Fled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin After the Taliban Took Over Afghanistan
Maryam Durani (b. 1987). An Afghan activist and women's advocate. In 2012, she received the International Women of Courage Award. Maryam Durani is the daughter of Haji Mohammad Eisa Durani, and she is a member of the Durrani tribe. She graduated from the Payam Noor and American University of Afghanistan. She earned a degree in Law and Political Science and business. Despite the area's extremely conservative view toward women, Durani served as a leader, role model, and advocate for women in Kandahar. First elected as a Kandahar Provincial Council Member in 2005 at the age of 21 and for a second term in 2009, Durani served as one of only four women on the Council and brought women's concerns and a woman's perspective to the activities and discussions of the Council. As a young, emerging leader in southern Afghanistan, Durani's courage and dedication to the women of Afghanistan were embedded in the fabric of her daily lif...