Tough as Nails: Afghanistan Grandma

May 29, 2012 8:14 PM

It's unusual for a woman to be a leader in Afghanistan but Zarifa Qazizadah has become the country's only female village chief through force of personality and determination to get things done - even if that means cross-dressing, wearing a false moustache and driving around on a motorbike at night. "I tell the men of the village, all I want is your prayers," she says. "When you have a problem, I'll speak to the government on your behalf and whenever there is any disturbance at night-time, I'll pick up my gun and come to your house to see what's going on."
posted by barnacles (6 comments total)

Badass.
posted by figurant at 8:24 PM on May 29, 2012 [4 favorites]

Thanks for posting.

See also: Dr. Habiba Sarabi - the first woman to ever be a governor of any province in Afghanistan. And the story of Malalai Kakar - the first woman to graduate from the Kandahar Police Academy.
posted by vidur at 8:30 PM on May 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

I think that I'm going to think of Qazizadah when glass ceilings get me down. Everything else I've tried to write here just seems trite, but I know that my new motto will be "WWQD?".
posted by Alice Russel-Wallace at 8:37 PM on May 29, 2012 [4 favorites]

In Afghanistan, it's more of a Lead ceiling.
posted by delmoi at 9:48 PM on May 29, 2012 [1 favorite]

I kind of wonder what happened to her husband- the article skirts around that. 15 kids and all that leadership.. amazing.
posted by fshgrl at 12:20 AM on May 30, 2012 [1 favorite]

Everything else I've tried to write here just seems trite

I'm having the same problem, but I enjoyed reading about Qazizadah and appreciate you posting the link, barnacles.
posted by Georgina at 5:09 AM on May 31, 2012