Zholia Parsi

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Zholia Parsi (born around 1982) is an Afghan human rights activist who led 38 protests for women’s rights after the 2021 Taliban takeover. She was detained for three months in 2023 by the Taliban.

Early life and work
Parsi grew up in Kabul. During the Afghan Civil War (1992–1996) her family moved to Takhar Province. Under Taliban rule (1996–2001) girls were not allowed to go to school. After the regime fell, she returned to school and studied Persian literature at Takhar University in Taloqan, becoming a Persian language teacher. She worked at a girls’ school in Kunduz and later in Kabul for 14 years. She also served as the executive manager of the Afghan High Peace Council, which sought talks with the Taliban.

After the 2021 Taliban takeover
When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, Parsi lost her teaching job and her daughters lost access to education. On September 3, 2021, she organized her first protest in Kabul against gender discrimination. She then helped lead protests in other cities and founded the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women (SMAW) to push for women’s access to public life. Protests sometimes drew abuse, arrests, and intimidation, so SMAW also acted online and indoors.

Arrest, detention, and exile
In September 2023, Parsi was arrested near her home in Kabul and held for three months in solitary confinement at District 40 Detention Centre, reportedly subjected to mistreatment. She and her son were released on December 18, 2023, but she remained under Taliban surveillance and house arrest. In March 2024 she left Afghanistan for medical reasons, getting a visa to Pakistan, and later received asylum in Brazil.

Awards and impact
While leading SMAW, Parsi organized 38 protests across Afghanistan; her final protest was in support of Tamana Zaryab Paryani. In 2024 she was named a laureate of the Martin Ennals Award for Human Rights Defenders, shared with Tajik activist Machuchehr Kholiqnazarov. She could not attend the ceremony in Geneva due to visa issues, and the award was accepted on her behalf. She became the ninth woman and the first Afghan to win the prize. Freedom Now praised her work and urged the international community to support Afghan women’s rights.