Adela Raz (born 1986) is an
Afghan
Afghan may refer to:
*Something of or related to Afghanistan, a country in Southern-Central Asia
*Afghans, people or citizens of Afghanistan, typically of any ethnicity
** Afghan (ethnonym), the historic term applied strictly to people of the Pas ...
politician who served as the last
ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United States from July 2021 to February 2022. Raz was also the first woman to hold the office of
.
Early life and education
Raz's father was killed by the
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state (polity), state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalism, Islamic fundamentalist, m ...
because he was perceived as too progressive.
[
Raz has a BA with majors in International Relations, Political Science and Economics from ]Simmons University
Simmons University (previously Simmons College) is a private university in Boston, Massachusetts. It was established in 1899 by clothing manufacturer John Simmons. In 2018, it reorganized its structure and changed its name to a university. Its ...
in Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, and an MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
. She was the first Afghan to gain a H-1B visa
The H-1B is a visa in the United States under the Immigration and Nationality Act, section 101(a)(15)(H) that allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign workers in specialty occupations. A specialty occupation requires the application of ...
.[
]
Career
Raz worked from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan ('UNAMA'') is a UN Special Political Mission tasked with assisting the people of Afghanistan.
UNAMA was established on 28 March 2002 by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1401.
Revi ...
.[ From 2010 until 2013, she worked with an international development organization in the US.][ She is an advocate for ]gender equality
Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making; and the state of valuing d ...
, women's education
Female education is a catch-all term of a complex set of issues and debates surrounding education (primary education, secondary education, tertiary education, and health education in particular) for girls and women. It is frequently called girls ...
and human rights
Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...
.[ She has worked to assist women develop sustainable work and participate in society.][
In 2013, she was appointed Deputy Spokesperson and Director of Communications to ]President
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai (; Pashto/ fa, حامد کرزی, , ; born 24 December 1957) is an Afghan statesman who served as the fourth president of Afghanistan from July 2002 to September 2014, including as the first elected president of the Islamic Repub ...
, the first woman to hold the positions.[ She became Chief of Staff in November 2014 and was appointed Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Cooperation in March 2016 at age 30.] In March 2018, she was part of a delegation of Afghan women to visit Washington DC, where she spoke about the need for more women in Afghan political life and the need for the rest of the world to consider them partners, not merely victims or recipients of aid.
On 31 December 2018, President Ashraf Ghani
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban.
Born in L ...
appointed Raz as Afghanistan's permanent representative
A permanent representative is a diplomat who is the head of a country’s diplomatic mission to an international organisation.
Organizations that receive permanent representatives from their member states include the United Nations, the World Tr ...
to the United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
, replacing Ambassador Mahmoud Saikal. She is the first woman to hold the position.[ In March 2019, she was unanimously selected as vice president of the UN .
Raz was appointed the Afghan ambassador to the United States on 26 July 2021. Following the ]2021 fall of Kabul
On 15 August 2021, Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul was captured by the Taliban after a major insurgent offensive that began in May 2021. This led to the overthrowing of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan under President Ashraf Ghani and ...
that toppled the Islamic Republic and ushered in the return of the Taliban, Adela Raz continued in her post despite the previous Afghan government no longer having control over the country. On 18 February 2022, Adela Raz was reported to have resigned from her ambassadorial position.
On 14 April 2022, Raz was announced as director of the newly established Afghanistan Policy Lab; an Afghanistan focused policy institute
A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental ...
. The lab is a joint venture between Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compul ...
and the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination
The Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination (LISD) is a research institute on self-determination, self-governance, and diplomacy. LISD is affiliated with the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Fo ...
.
Personal life
She is married to Matin Bek former Chief of Staff to President Ashraf Ghani
Mohammad Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai (born 19 May 1949) is an Afghan politician, academic, and economist who served as the president of Afghanistan from September 2014 until August 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban.
Born in L ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Raz, Adela
Living people
1986 births
Simmons University alumni
The Fletcher School at Tufts University alumni
Afghan women's rights activists
Women government ministers of Afghanistan
Permanent Representatives of Afghanistan to the United Nations
Afghan women ambassadors
21st-century Afghan women politicians
21st-century Afghan politicians