Fareeda "Kokikhel" Afridi was a

Pashtun Pashtuns (, , ; ps, پښتانه, ), also known as Pakhtuns or Pathans, are an Iranian ethnic group who are native to the geographic region of Pashtunistan in the present-day countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They were historically re ...

feminist, a women's rights activist in Pakistan. In July 2012, at the age of 25, she was shot dead on her way to work. Afridi was born and raised in the Khyber tribal area, part of the

Federally Administered Tribal Areas , conventional_long_name = Federally Administered Tribal Areas , nation = Pakistan , subdivision = Autonomous territory , image_flag = Flag of FATA.svg , image_coat = File:Coat of arms ...

(FATA), an impoverished semi-autonomous region in Pakistan's northwest, bordering

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

. She graduated from university with a master's degree in

gender studies Gender studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to analysing gender identity and gendered representation. Gender studies originated in the field of women's studies, concerning women, feminism, gender, and politics. The field ...

. While still in school, with her sister Noor Zia Afridi, she founded the Society for Appraisal and Women Empowerment in Rural Areas (SAWERA), a women-run

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

promoting women's empowerment in FATA. Afridi was critical of the Pakistani government, the

Taliban The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...

, and the patriarchal nature of Pakistani society.Pakistani Women's Rights Activist Fareeda 'Kokikhel' Afridi Shot Dead in Peshawar
/ref> In June 2012, she told journalists she was being threatened. Her friends and colleagues suspected the threats originated with FATA Taliban militants. On 5 July 2012, as Afridi left her home to go to work in

Hayatabad Hayatabad is a suburb on the western outskirts of Peshawar, the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It borders the now defunct Tribal Areas and is close to Torkham, which is the major border crossing point between Pakistan and ...

a suburb of

Peshawar Peshawar (; ps, پېښور ; hnd, ; ; ur, ) is the sixth most populous city in Pakistan, with a population of over 2.3 million. It is situated in the north-west of the country, close to the International border with Afghanistan. It is ...

, she was shot once in the head and twice in the neck by two motorcyclists, who afterwards escaped. She died in hospital. Condemning the murder at a protest camp organized by the

Aurat Foundation Aurat Foundation, founded in 1986, is a women's rights organization based in Islamabad, Pakistan. Its co-founders were Nigar Ahmed and Shahla Zia. Aurat Foundation lobbies and advocates for women. It also holds demonstrations and public awarenes ...

along with

Peshawar Press Club The Peshawar Press Club (PPC) (Urdu: ) is an organisation of journalists and professionals working in media in Peshawar, Pakistan. The press club was founded in 1964 after the need for journalists to sit and organise press conferences was raised. Cu ...

and

Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) is a trade union federation of journalists in Pakistan. PFUJ is affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists. History The constitution of the PFUJ was first adopted in Karachi in A ...

, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Information Minister

Mian Iftikhar Hussain Mian Iftikhar Hussain ( ps, میا افتخار حسېن; ur, میاں افتخار حسین) is a Pashtun nationalist politician who is a senior leader of the Awami National Party (ANP). He has served as the spokesperson of the Pakistan Demo ...

stated: She was the second female in

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (; ps, خېبر پښتونخوا; Urdu, Hindko: خیبر پختونخوا) commonly abbreviated as KP or KPK, is one of the Administrative units of Pakistan, four provinces of Pakistan. Located in the Geography of Pakistan, ...

to be targeted by Taliban extremists.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Afridi, Fareeda Kokikhel Pakistani women's rights activists Pashtun women 2012 deaths People from Khyber District Pakistani feminists Terrorism deaths in Pakistan Pakistani terrorism victims People of the insurgency in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa People killed by the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan Year of birth missing Violence against women in Pakistan Assassinated Pakistani activists Incidents of violence against women Deaths by firearm in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

See also

References