Dr. Orzala Nemat, an internationally known Afghan activist and scholar is an expert in political ethnography, holding a Ph.D. in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and MSc in Development Planning from the University College London (UCL). Dr. Nemat experienced how it is to be a war refugee for fourteen years in Pakistan. However, she chose to rise above the situation by putting the focus on developing her career, at the same time, she assisted and helped the marginalized members of society through educational programs, building schools, protection of female victims of violence and peacebuilding for children.

Dr. Nemat founded an organisation, led and worked with various grassroots, national and international organizations in over 17 years of her professional life. She served on various development organizations’ governance boards and attended numerous international and national conferences representing voices from Afghanistan and the Afghan women. She was selected as a Young Global Leader at the World Forum in 2009, Yale Greenberg World Fellows in 2008 and is a recipient of the Isabel Ferror Award for Women’s Education and the Amnesty International Award for Humanitarian Aid to Children and Women. Upon completion of her studies and after teaching international development courses at SOAS, Dr. Nemat returned to Kabul where she worked as the president’s advisor on sub-national governance.
Since 2016 Nemat serves as director of Afghanistan’s top think tank.
orzala@areu.org.af