Outspoken by Sima Samar, with Sally Armstrong

Dr. Sima Samar has been fighting for equality and justice for most of her life. Born into a polygamous family, she learned early that girls had inferior status, and she had to agree to an arranged marriage if she wanted to go to university. By the time she was in medical school, she had a son, Ali, and had become a revolutionary. After her husband was disappeared by the pro-Russian regime, she escaped. With her son and medical degree, she took off into the rural areas by horseback, by donkey, even on foot to treat people who had never had medical help before.

Sima Samar's wide-ranging experiences both in her home country and on the world stage have given her inside access to the dishonesty, the collusion, the corruption, the self-serving leaders, and the hijacking of religion. And as a former Vice President, she knows all the players in this chess game called Afghanistan. With stories that are at times poignant, at times terrifying, inspiring as well as disheartening, Sima provides an unparalleled view of Afghanistan's past and its present.

Despite being in grave personal danger for many years, she has worked tirelessly for the dream she is convinced is an achievable one: justice and full human rights forallthe citizens of her country. (From Random House Canada)

• Dr. Sima Samar on fighting for women's rights in Afghanistan
• 26 works of Canadian nonfiction coming out in spring 2024

Samar is a Hazara doctor, human rights defender and activist from Afghanistan who is dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls. She founded Shuhada Organization, a civil society collective that runs schools, hospitals and clinics to provide access to healthcare and education. She served as Minister of Women's Affairs, chaired the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission and was appointed as a member of the United Nations Secretary General's High-Level Panel on Internal Displacement in 2019.

Sally Armstrong is a Canadian author, journalist, human rights activist and documentary filmmaker who covers war and conflict.

Interviews withSima Samar

The Sunday Magazine21:08Sima Samar on Afghanistans past, future and the current humanitarian crisis

It's been nearly three months since the fall of Kabul and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the world is beginning to see what its rule will look like. Afghanistan's former Vice President and Minister of Women's Affairs, Sima Samar talks about how the international community and the previous government failed the country, the current state of human rights there and how to navigate a tumultuous new reality with the Taliban in power.

The Current22:55Dr. Sima Samar on fighting for womens rights in Afghanistan

After the Taliban was toppled in the wake of 9/11, Dr. Sima Samar was named Afghanistans first-ever minister of women's affairs. In her new memoir Outspoken, she reflects on her childhood, her fight for human and womens rights in Afghanistan and the future of her country.

Fresh Air20:28In conversation with Dr. Sima Samar, a lifelong advocate of women and girls who took incredible personal risks to help those in Afghanistan.

Dr. Sima Samar has been fighting for equality for women for most of her life.Her new book is called Outspoken - My fight for freedom and Human Rights in Afghanistan.Sima Samar joined us in the studio to tell us more about her life.