Fereshta Kohistani

Name: Fereshta Kohistani

Occupation: Women’s Rights Activist
Date of Birth: 1991
Date of Assassination: December 24, 2020
Place of Assassination: Kapisa Province
Person/Group Responsible for Assassination: Unknown

Life and Education:

Fereshta Kohistani was born in 1991 in Kapisa and graduated from a university in Delhi, India. She was a prominent women’s rights activist. On December 24, 2020, due to her activism, she was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in Kapisa. Her brother, Shahram Kohistani, who was accompanying her at the time, was also killed in the attack. Her assassination sparked widespread reactions and protests among human rights activists and the international community, drawing attention to the deteriorating situation of human rights defenders in Afghanistan. Notably, just a day before her assassination, Mohammad Yousuf Rasheed, a civil society activist and head of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), was also assassinated. Kohistani is survived by a son.

Activities:

Fereshta Kohistani was one of Afghanistan’s leading women’s rights activists. She also worked as an advisor to the Executive Office. Her efforts were primarily focused on advancing women’s and girls’ rights, with her vision of a society free from violence and discrimination. Kohistani headed the Kapisa Women’s Movement and was a senior and active member of the Kapisa Youth Organization. She conducted extensive awareness campaigns and educational programs for women, especially in the underprivileged areas of Kapisa. One of her key initiatives was advocating for improving the rights of women in deprived and remote regions. She actively fought against gender-based violence, forced marriages, and gender discrimination. Kohistani used social media and other media platforms to convey her message to the public and participated in various human rights campaigns, becoming a prominent voice for women standing up against injustice.