Sima Samar was born into a polygamous family, with her father having two wives. She quickly came to understand the inferior status that girls and women have in Afghanistan and came to dedicate her life to educate and motivate women for a better life.

In her memoir, Outspoken, she tells us of her life growing up, becoming a doctor and activist, of her work on peace negotiations and helping to educate around the unjust and difficult lives of all women living in Afghanistan, and it is also enlightening from a political aspect. Samar writes of her hopes and dilemmas in the continuous climate of politics and war. Her work and interests are community medical care and education entangled with the efforts to block progress by the men in power.

Outspoken expanded my understanding of the daily challenges faced by a woman living under a fundamentalist, repressive regime. Samar details how control has changed many times over 30 odd years. The Taliban, who are once again in power, are undoing all the progress in their quest to deny other tribes all personal freedoms in the name of Islam, or at least, their version of it. Once again all women are prevented from leading a life of freedom and equality.

I read this book over a couple of weeks and found it thought provoking and informative. For such a heavy and often disturbing account of the struggles of women and desire for freedom it is easy to read. It reminded me how grateful I am to live in free and democratic Australia. Samar is an inspiration to keep fighting for what you believe in and to never give up.

Reviewed by Kay Benson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sima Samar is a doctor for the poor, an educator of the marginalised and a human rights defender from Afghanistan. She has established and nurtured the Shuhada Organization that, in 2012, operated more than 100 schools. At the time, Shuhada also ran 15 clinics and hospitals dedicated to providing education and healthcare, particularly focusing on women and girls.

Samar served in the Interim Administration of Afghanistan and established the first-ever Ministry of Women’s Affairs. From 2004-2019, she chaired the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission that holds human rights violators accountable, a commitment that has put her own life at great risk.

In December 2019, Sima Samar was appointed as a member of the United Nations Secretary-General’s High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement. She is also a member of the UN Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation.

Find out more about Sima Samar