Maryam Safi, an experienced professional in human rights, peace, and conflict resolution from Afghanistan. She holds a Master’s degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from Uppsala University in Sweden, earned through a Rotary Scholarship. She also obtained a Master of Arts in Applied Community Change, specializing in Peacebuilding, from Future Generations University in West Virginia, USA, supported by the Kathryn W. Davis Peacebuilding Scholarship. Additionally, Maryam holds a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic Law from the Sharia Law Faculty of Kabul University in Afghanistan.
Currently, Maryam is conducting research on the right to education in Afghanistan, with a focus on education and peace, exploring “Understanding education under the Taliban-era: Why do the Taliban use school curricula and textbooks as tools to consolidate their military victory?.”
With over a decade of experience in human rights and peacebuilding, Maryam specializes in women’s education and empowerment, human rights advocacy, research, and program development and management. As a Program Manager for Students’ Experiences at ReDI School of Digital Integration in Malmö, she played a key role in advancing the integration and empowerment of immigrant women through tech education. She also managed the Human Rights portfolio at Open Society Foundations in Afghanistan, advocating for and supporting women’s rights issues in the country.
Her work has extended to youth empowerment and political participation, where she contributed to establishing youth councils in eight regions of Afghanistan, equipping young people with leadership skills, and advocating for Afghan youth policy, which she presented at the first Global Forum on Youth Policies.
Additionally, Maryam has contributed to various research publications through her work with the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), Democracy International (DI), and the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU).
Maryam Safi remains a catalyst for positive change in Afghanistan and beyond through her enduring commitment to human rights, peace, and education.