Rina Amiri

Rina Amiri (born c. 1969) is an Afghan-born American diplomat and activist serving as the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights since January 6, 2022. She served as senior advisor to the U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan under the Obama administration, has served in the United Nations in several peace building capacities, and has held senior positions in programs at Harvard, Princeton, and New York University. [1] She has provided political analysis and commentary on MSNBC, PBS, CNN, and CSPAN, and was recognized as 125 Women of Impact by Newsweek.[2]

Rina Amiri
Amiri in 2022
U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights
Assumed office
January 6, 2022
Personal details
Born1969 (age 53–54)
Kingdom of Afghanistan
CitizenshipUnited States
Alma materFletcher School of Law and Diplomacy

Early life and education

Amiri was born c. 1969[3] in Afghanistan. In 1973, at four years old, she became a refugee when her parents left secretly through the Khyber Pass out of Afghanistan and into Pakistan.[4] They later moved to Mumbai before settling in California.

In 2007, Amiri completed a masters of arts in law and diplomacy, mediation, and international relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.[5][6]

Career

In 2002, Amiri experienced a life-changing event when United States Senator John Kerry spoke at a forum at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and opened the floor to questions.[3] She attracted the attention of the media when she stood up and said that "The color of our hair and our skin does not reflect what is in our hearts and minds...The Afghan population is not the Taliban. They have been the first victims of the Taliban."[4]

She subsequently became a sought-after expert and speaker on Afghanistan. Amiri has been interviewed by national media outlets such as CNN and National Public Radio; appeared on NewsHour With Jim Lehrer on PBS; and been profiled in Boston and New England TV programs. She has been quoted by major newspapers across the country, and an op-ed she wrote was published in The New York Times.[4] While she has insisted on keeping attention focused on issues related to the conflict in Afghanistan, rather than on herself personally, she has discussed her dual identity as an American who identifies strongly with Afghan culture.[4]

Discussion about "Engaging Afghan Women and Civil Society in U.S. Policymaking" in 2022. Left to right: Palwasha Hassan, Asila Wardak, Naheed Sarabi and Amiri.

Amiri was an advisor to Richard Holbrooke, who served as a special advisor to President Barack Obama on Afghanistan and Pakistan.[7] In 2015, she appeared in the documentary film The Diplomat about the life of Holbrooke, filmed after his death.[8]

On December 29, 2021, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the appointment of Amiri as special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights.[9] She took office on January 6, 2022.[10] The appointment came as women in the country were facing increased oppression by the ruling Taliban.[11] She has also worked to raise international awareness of the plight of Afghan refugees who have been "stranded everywhere" and face years of uncertainty.[7]

In October 2022 Amiri highlighted that it was 400 days since girls in Afghanistan were allowed to go to secondary school by the Taliban government. She noted that the country was unlikely to thrive while it denied 50% of its population an education. The government said it was considering opening up education for girls above year sixm but no date was offered.[12]

References
  1. "Rina Amiri - United States Department of State". U.S. Dept of State.
  2. "Council on Foreign Relations Rina Almiri" (PDF). Council on Foreign Relations.
  3. MacQuarrie, Brian (November 16, 2001). "Answering the call: Afghan activist steps up to the microphone to help other women". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. Knopf, Terry Ann (2002). "Until September 11, she was simply a student at Fletcher". Tufts Journal. Tufts University. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
  5. Manvikar, Akshata (December 30, 2021). "Who is Rina Amiri? The Special Envoy For Afghan Women". She the People. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  6. Stephenson, Heather (April 12, 2022). "Escape from Afghanistan: Three Tufts Alumnae Aiding Afghans Around the World". Tufts Now. Tufts University. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  7. Buncombe, Andrew (September 5, 2021). "Afghan refugees facing up to 10 years of uncertainty". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Robbins, Caryn. "Documentary THE DIPLOMAT to Debut Exclusively on HBO, 11/2". BroadwayWorld.com. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
  9. Landay, Jonathan; Shalal, Andrea (December 29, 2021). "Blinken names former U.S. adviser Amiri as special envoy for Afghan women". Reuters. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  10. "Rina Amiri". United States Department of State. Retrieved August 19, 2022.
  11. "Rina Amiri Named US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights". VOA News. Archived from the original on July 31, 2022. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
  12. "400 Days Have Passed Since Afghan Girls Attended Secondary School". TOLOnews. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
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