Masuma Esmati-Wardak

Masuma Esmati-Wardak is a writer and a politician from Afghanistan. She graduated from the Kabul Women College in the year 1953 and gained a degree in business in US in the year 1958. She was the principal of Zarghuna High School in Kabul between the year 1959 and the year 1964, before she was made the director-general of the secondary education. In the year 1964, she became a member of the Constitutional Advisory Committee that signed the progressive constitution of the country in the year 1964. In the year 1965, she was elected to stand in for Kandahar in the Lower House of Parliament and then she was the leading advocate of the right of women in the country. Masuma got married to Abdul Qayum Wardak, who was the former minister of education and the professor at the faculty of science in the University of Kabul. In the year 1987, Masuma was made the president of the Afghan Woman’s Council. She worked as a minister of Education under President Najibullah.

source of picture: www.vebidoo.com

Masuma has published several books about thje rights of women, both in Dari and Pashto about the contributions and efforts of the women of the country. Her book that is titled ‘Women’s Contributions to Pashto Oral Tradition’ has been translated to the English language.