Summary
Hasina Jalal (Persian: حسینه جلال) is an Afghan women’s rights and pro-democracy advocate and an exiled scholar from Afghanistan, with over a decade of experience in policy advocacy, civil society engagement, and academic scholarship. She is recognized for her leadership in advancing gender equality, democratic governance, and human rights in post-conflict settings. In 2014, she was elected by public vote to receive the N-Peace Award from the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on the University for Peace and the UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Office.
 

She is a member of the New University in Exile Consortium and a Fellow of the Pittsburgh Network for Threatened Scholars. Hasina has taught political science, economics, and human rights-related courses at political science departments and business schools in both the United States and Afghanistan. Her work bridges scholarship, policy, and grassroots activism. She has held several senior positions within the Government of Afghanistan, including Research Team Lead and Policy Expert at the Presidential Palace and Policy Advisor to the Minister and Director of the Program Design and Donor Coordination Directorate at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum. She co-founded and served as the Executive Director of the National Association of Afghanistan Civil Society (NAACS), and played a key role in establishing the first South Asian alliance focused on women’s economic, social, and cultural rights (SAFA) in Sri Lanka.

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Personal Life
Born into a family of principled champions of democracy, Hasina’s commitment to human rights and social justice is rooted in her parents’ lifelong struggle against authoritarianism and extremism. Her mother, Dr. Massouda Jalal—Afghanistan’s first female presidential candidate, former Minister of Women’s Affairs, and former UN high-level national staff—was imprisoned by the Taliban in the 1990s for promoting women’s education and employment. During her tenure as Minister of Women’s Affairs, she traveled extensively across Afghanistan and survived attacks on her convoy and threats to her staff. Her father, Dr. Faizullah Jalal, a former professor of law and political science and Vice-Chancellor of Kabul University, endured multiple imprisonments and persecution under both communist and Taliban regimes and lost many family members during Afghanistan’s decades of conflict. This family legacy of sacrifice and resistance continues to shape Hasina’s commitment to justice and equality.
 

Following the Taliban takeover in 2021, Hasina was forced to seek asylum in the United States, while her family was evacuated to Europe. Separated from her loved ones and unable to return to her homeland, she continues to advocate for Afghan women’s rights and democracy, using her platform to amplify their voices and influence international policy and discourse. From exile, she remains deeply engaged in global advocacy and public dialogue on Afghanistan. She is fluent in Persian/Dari, Pashto, English, Turkish, and Hindi/Urdu, and has proficiency in Punjabi, Arabic, and Uzbek.

 

Education
Hasina Jalal has pursued graduate studies at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University and advanced academic training toward a Ph.D. in Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. She holds an MBA from the American University of Afghanistan as a USAID merit-based scholar and an MA in Women’s Studies from the University of Northern Iowa as a Fulbright scholar. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Economics with a minor in Political Science from Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi, India, where she was an ICCR scholar, and previously completed one academic year of a Bachelor of Arts in Economics program at Kabul University. Her academic training reflects a strong interdisciplinary foundation in economics, political science, gender studies, and public policy.
 

Career
Hasina Jalal served in the Government of Afghanistan as a Research Team Lead and Policy Expert at the Presidential Palace, where she led a team of researchers, conducted policy-oriented research, and presented findings and recommendations to the former President of Afghanistan. She also worked as a Policy Advisor and Director of the Program Design and Donor Coordination Directorate at the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, managing initiatives funded by foreign aid to the oil, gas, and mining sectors, providing policy advice to the Minister.
 

In addition to her government service, Hasina has taught economics, human rights, and political science-related courses at business schools and political science departments in both the United States and Afghanistan. She has established, managed, and co-founded several civil society organizations in Afghanistan and at the South-Asian regional level. Since 2012, she has been the Co-founder and Executive Director of the National Association of Afghanistan Civil Society (NAACS) and the first alliance of South Asian women focused on women’s economic, social, and cultural rights (SAFA) in Sri Lanka. Through these initiatives, she has supported grassroots organizing, policy reform, and cross-border solidarity among women leaders.
 

Hasina has been awarded multiple prestigious fellowships, including the Elinor Ostrom Fellowship, a fellowship from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, the Pittsburgh Network for Threatened Scholars, and the Agora Fellowship from the Center for Governance and Markets. Her work in gender equality, human rights, women’s empowerment, and democracy has been recognized by several regional and international honors. She received the Honoring 100 Asian Women Award in 2012, the N-Peace Award in 2014, the Global Women Leadership Award in 2016, and the World Super Achiever Award in 2017. In 2020, she received the Iconic Women Creating a Better World for All Award from the Women’s Economic Forum, and in 2021, she was voted by the Afghan public as one of the "45 Most Influential Afghan Women." These honors reflect her sustained impact as a leader, scholar, and advocate for social justice.