Outspoken

Outspoken

My Fight for Freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan

Clear
N/A February 2024 Hardback 352pp 26 b&w photographs
000

About the Book

Sima Samar has spent her life challenging power in Afghanistan. A pioneering doctor, she provided healthcare to women in some of the country’s most remote regions, often at significant personal risk. She went on to become Minister of Women’s Affairs, becoming one of the Taliban’s most determined critics.
Born into a Hazara family and raised in a polygamous household, Samar grew up understanding the consequences of gender and ethnic inequality in Afghanistan. Forced into an arranged marriage, she was still a young doctor when her husband was disappeared by the pro-Soviet regime. In the aftermath, she faced a stark choice: retreat into safety or dedicate herself to resisting injustice in all its forms.
Over decades of war, displacement, threats and exile, she has remained unwavering in her commitment to women’s rights and human dignity, building institutions, delivering care and refusing to be silenced. This memoir is her account of a life lived at the centre of Afghanistan’s most turbulent history – an intimate and unflinching testimony of courage, loss and enduring resistance.

About the Author

Sally Armstrong is an award-winning journalist, human rights advocate and bestselling author. She was among the first journalists to bring international attention to the lives and experiences of women in Afghanistan. A four-time winner of the Amnesty International Canada Media Award, she has received eleven honorary doctorates and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Sima Samar is an Afghan doctor, human rights activist and advocate for women’s rights. She founded the Shuhada Organization and served as Afghanistan’s Minister of Women’s Affairs and as Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. Her work has been recognised with numerous international honours, including the Right Livelihood Award, the Profile in Courage Award and the Ms. Magazine Women of the Year Award. She is currently a Visiting Scholar and Fellow at Tufts University.

Reviews

‘A mighty memoir … A book to break hearts but also bring hope. Sima Samar was the unflinching face of Afghans’ fight for human rights and justice. Her story is ours too, and it’s time it was told.’
Lyse Doucet

‘Samar is an inspiration for women the world over. Her powerful and moving memoir is a vital read. This inspiring story of resilience, courage and hope ignites a flame of hope for Afghanistan.’
Cherie Blair

‘An extraordinary, gripping and deeply moving book about the tragedy in Afghanistan.’
Ahmed Rashid

‘Sima Samar’s life and work stand in defiance to the dark rule of the Taliban, as a promise for a better future for all Afghans.’
Louise Arbour, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights

'Illuminating and vital ... Samar's lifelong legacy of resistance and resilience is palpably present in this memorable self-portrait.'
Kirkus Reviews

'Memoirs don't come much more inspirational than this.'
Publishers Weekly

Awards

CG Moore Prize 2024 (Shortlisted)

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