Awards

• Winner of Mother Teresa Memorial Award 2012 (Afghanistan)
• Winner of Right Livelihood Award 2012 (Afghanistan)

Overview

Sima Samar has been fighting for justice all her life. Born into a polygamous family, Samar agreed to an arranged marriage to continue her own education. Once she had qualified as a doctor, she took off into rural areas – on horse, donkey, even on foot – to treat people who had never received medical help before. As the situation worsened, Samar found herself working in increasingly adverse circumstances, and in grave personal danger. After Samar’s husband was disappeared by the regime, she faced a choice: to accept the injustices she saw around her or to keep driving for a better Afghanistan. From selling her own hand embroidered bed quilt to pay for her degree, to becoming Vice President in an office with no heating and only beach chairs, Samar has worked tirelessly for human rights in Afghanistan – the worst country in the world to be a woman. In Outspoken, Samar writes unapologetically and unflinchingly about the colossal internal and international political failures that have engulfed Afghanistan over the past five decades – the corruption, tribal tensions and hijacking of religion. But it is also a powerful story of loyalty, diplomacy and integrity; a vision for a brighter dawn.

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9780863568985

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Reviews

''Memoirs don’t come much more inspirational than this…Acknowledging that “most of the world sees us as a people at war”, Samar carefully balances a steely indictment of her country’s repressive tendencies with an affection for her heritage. It’s a crucial complement to American narratives about Afghanistan.' -- Publisher's Weekly ''Illuminating. . . . Sima Samar relates the embattled history of Afghanistan with lucid facts personalized with deeply felt impressions about her homeland’s perpetual unrest. The author opens readers’ eyes to the harsh realities of life for Afghan women. . . . Vital. . . . Samar’s lifelong legacy of resistance and resilience is palpably present in this memorable self-portrait.' -- Kirkus Reviews

Author Information

Sima Samar is a globally renowned women’s and human rights activist and doctor from Afghanistan. She established the Shuhada Organization that operated more than one hundred schools and dozens of hospitals and clinics in the country. She served as Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan and is the former chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. She was formerly the UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Sudan. She is currently a visiting scholar at Tufts University’s Fletcher School Sally Armstrong is an award-winning author, journalist and human rights activist.

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