Khatira Daryabi

Khatira Daryabi

Khatira Daryabi is an Afghan-born artist and activist who campaigns for women’s and refugees’ rights. While growing up in Kabul, she organized weekly bike protests to promote peace and gender equality and taught many girls how to ride bikes and join the cause of women’s empowerment. Despite facing threats and traumatic experiences due to her activism, Khatira encouraged other girls to follow in her footsteps. At the age of 14, she fled to Canada as a refugee and is now a student at the University of British Columbia Sauder, pursuing a dual degree on a full scholarship. Khatira continues to use her art, public speaking, and projects to advocate for the rights of women and refugees. She founded a start-up that imports dried fruits to create job opportunities for Afghan women and to share the unheard stories of resilience that are buried or hidden in Afghanistan. Her achievements include becoming a finalist for the 2020 International Children’s Peace Prize, winning the Vancouver Award of Excellence in 2022, and being nominated for the Women of Distinction Award in 2023. You can learn more about her inspiring story by watching her TEDx Talk. She aims to become a lawyer to pursue further activism and be the voice of change.