Age: 48
Place of Birth: Kabul, Afghanistan
Status: Former Government Employee (Ministry of Women’s Affairs), Women’s Rights Activist, and Leader of Women’s Protest Movements — At Immediate Risk of Arrest and Forced Deportation to Afghanistan

Introduction

Shahlla Arifi is one of the most recognized voices of Afghan women’s civil resistance. With a Master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies from Kabul University and professional experience at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, she has dedicated years to empowering women and enhancing the capacity of young girls in educational institutions.

Beyond her academic and professional contributions, Shahla became a leading civic figure and organizer of women’s demonstrations in Kabul and other cities. Following the collapse of the Republic, she emerged as one of the central figures sustaining women’s protests, leading over 40 demonstrations in Kabul within just two years.

Story of Resistance and Threats

• Since the Taliban takeover, Shahlla has repeatedly faced direct threats from Taliban security and intelligence forces.
• On August 12, 2023, she was arrested at her home by Taliban intelligence. Her house was raided, money and documents related to the women’s movement were confiscated, and she was taken with her sister-in-law to the Kabul intelligence detention center.
• During detention, Shahlla endured severe physical assault and mistreatment. She was later placed under one month of house arrest, during which armed Taliban agents monitored her daily.
• She was threatened with death; at one point, she was attacked with a knife to her neck, leaving her with deep wounds and requiring multiple stitches.
• Ultimately, in September 2023, she fled Afghanistan with her family to seek safety.

Activities and Roles

• Former staff member at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan (Women’s Empowerment & Capacity Building Division)
• Leadership member of the Afghan Women’s Justice Movement
• Organizer of over 40 women’s protests and demonstrations in Kabul and other provinces

Current Situation (September 2025): Shahlla now lives in Pakistan with her eight-member family under extremely harsh and unstable conditions. She faces the constant threat of deportation back to Afghanistan, with no access to reliable legal, security, or financial support.

Message from Shahlla Arifi

“I believe the struggle for gender equality is a human duty.
Even when I was tortured, humiliated, and bleeding, I told myself: I will continue this path.
I am the voice of women whose voices were cut off.
Today, my only wish is survival — not for myself alone, but for every girl in Afghanistan.”

Urgent Call for Support

Shahlla and her family are in desperate need of immediate and multi-dimensional support:

• Legal Assistance: To prevent deportation and to facilitate resettlement in a safe country.
• Financial Assistance: To cover basic living needs, housing, children’s education, and medical/psychological treatment for injuries and trauma.