Sima Samar's Memoir 'Outspoken' Chronicles Afghanistan's Democratic Era and Taliban's Gender Apartheid
As the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's resurgence in Kabul approaches, Sima Samar, the former Afghan Minister of Women's Affairs, reflects on her memoir, 'Outspoken: My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan,' which Saqi Books will release in 2024. Co-authored with Sally Armstrong, the book details her experiences as a feminist and a member of the Hazara minority, her contributions to the democratic government between 2001 and 2021, and her fight against the Taliban's 'gender apartheid.' Samar holds the Pashtun elite and international entities accountable for the regime's downfall. Women have faced harsh limitations since the Taliban's return, yet Samar remains cautiously hopeful for future changes and is working on an extended Persian edition of her memoir while in exile in the U.S.
Key facts
- Sima Samar's memoir 'Outspoken' was published in 2024 by Saqi Books.
- The book is co-written with Sally Armstrong and has 333 pages, priced at 17 euros.
- Samar was Afghanistan's Minister of Women's Affairs under Hamid Karzai.
- She also served as president of the Independent Human Rights Commission for nearly two decades.
- The Taliban's return in 2021 led to the dissolution of the Human Rights Commission and replacement of the Women's Affairs Ministry.
- Under the Taliban, girls are barred from secondary education and universities.
- Women cannot work for NGOs, travel without a male guardian, or speak in public.
- Samar is preparing a longer Persian version of the memoir.
- She is currently in exile in the United States.
- The interview was published on August 23, 2026, by RFI.
Entities
Artists
- Sima Samar
- Sally Armstrong
Institutions
- Saqi Books
- RFI
- Independent Human Rights Commission
- Ministry of Women's Affairs
- Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice
Locations
- Afghanistan
- Kabul
- United States
- Jagori
- Hazarajat
- England
- Germany