Meet Kamila...

Kamila Sidiqi is a prominent women’s rights and economic activist who has worked in leadership roles in different sectors in Afghanistan and the United Kingdom.

For the past several years, she has been actively engaged in promoting gender issues, private sector development, transparency, and anti-corruption in Afghanistan. Kamila has held esteemed roles such as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Presidential Palace and Deputy Minister and Acting Minister of Commerce.

Before joining the government, Kamila was a successful entrepreneur and one of the first businesswomen in Afghanistan. During her work in the private sector, she made groundbreaking achievements in various fields and received recognition across the globe for her endeavours in male-dominated sectors.

She has now initiated a community interest company in the UK called Kaweyan International and has launched the Association of Leading Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs (ALIWE) in UK. The Association has pledged to support the cause of girls’ education in Afghanistan.

Kamila launched several path-breaking initiatives in Afghanistan including:

The first woman-led business consultancy firm (Kaweyan Business Development Services)

The first woman-owned dried fruit export import company (Naweyan Nawed Ltd.)

The first for women, by women cab services (Kaweyan Cabs) Afghanistan's first Pink Taxi Service

The only women-owned petroleum company (Kaweyan Petroleum)

Women’s right to education and work has become a tool for political leverage. We must fight against the use of women’s rights as a bargaining chip in politics.

– Kamila Sidiqi

Timeline of Kamila's Life

2012

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, a book on Kamila's life and achievements, receives international acclaim and recognition as a New York Times Best Seller.

2013

Organised in Turkey by the Hollings Center, Kamila speaks at Regional Policy Dialogue on Central Asia's Regional Challenges.

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Kamila represents Afghanistan's women entrepreneurs in several B2B conferences organised in India and Tajikistan.

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Kamila is a founding member of the Steering Committee of the South Asia Women Entrepreneurs Symposium (SAWES).

2014

Kamila is recognised by the Modern Organization for Education and Development as a Peace Hero in Afghanistan.

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Kamila is a part of The International Alliance of Women, World of Difference awardees.

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Kamila gives a speech at the Power of Empowered Women Event organised by the United Nations in Geneva.

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Kamila becomes the Deputy Chief of Staff for Admin and Finance in the Administrative Office of the President.

2015

Kamila embarks on her second year as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Admin and Finance in the Administrative Office of the President.

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Kamila is a keynote speaker at The Economist Magazine’s "World in 2016" event in Hong Kong and Singapore.

2016

Kamila continues her role as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Admin and Finance in the Administrative Office of the President.

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The Dressmaker of Khair Khana is part of the Common Reading Program at the University of Florida for the class of 2016.

2017

Kamila continues her role as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Admin and Finance in the Administrative Office of the President.

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Kamila starts work on the promotion of Afghan trade and commerce as the Deputy Minister for Commerce at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

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Kamila participates as a key speaker in the AFPAK Partnership Summit: Workable Solutions in a New Era, held in Mali.

2019

Kamila continues her work on the promotion of Afghan trade and commerce as the Deputy Minister for Commerce at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

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Kamila is a panelist at the CAMCA Regional Forum.

2021

Kamila represents Afghanistan at the Halifax International Security Forum as a speaker.

2022

Kamila represents Afghanistan, for a second year, at the Halifax International Security Forum as a speaker.

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Kamila sets up the Kamila Sidiqi Foundation to support an underground network of educators committed to girls’ education in Afghanistan

It has been over

900

days since the Taliban banned teenage girls from school.

Meet Kamila...

Kamila launched several path-breaking initiatives in Afghanistan including:

Women’s right to education and work has become a tool for political leverage. We must fight against the use of women’s rights as a bargaining chip in politics.

Timeline of Kamila's Life

It has been {day} days since the Taliban banned teenage girls from school.

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