Sadaf* is from Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan. She has always had a passion for education. In 2013, she left Laghman to attend Nangarhar University. While at school, she worked part-time as a teacher for local private schools. Sadaf experienced many of the challenges that women in Afghanistan face in school, including discrimination and harassment. Four years later, she graduated with a degree in Teacher Training. She was determined to build a career that would help her make education more accessible for women.

After graduating in 2017, Sadaf enrolled in the USAID Promote: Women in Government internship program where she learned important leadership and project management skills. After completing the year-long program, USAID helped Sadaf with her curriculum vitae (CV) and interview tips to help her apply for jobs in the government. However, her family did not want her to work outside the home. After an insurgent attack on the Directorate of Women’s Affairs in Laghman, her family was even more reluctant to allow her to work in the civil service.

Sadaf finally convinced her family to let her apply for jobs in the government. She assured them that by working in the government she could improve educational opportunities for other women in her community. In 2019, the Directorate of Education in Laghman hired her as the Director of the Teacher Training Center—a senior leadership position.

Sadaf oversees 114 employees and is working to create better educational materials and a more hospitable environment for female teachers and students within Teacher Training Centers. She plans to increase women’s representation, both in the civil service and in schools. “Next year, I will request additional positions for women in the education sector in Laghman,” she said.