‘ Fascinating… an enticingly interesting read’ Sayeeda Warsi
Born in rural Afghanistan, Shakardokht Jafari became a refugee aged just six, after a harrowing half-year trek to Iran.
There, at twelve, she discovered she had been promised in marriage at birth to an older cousin. Resisting no fewer than three arranged marriages, she fought to choose her own husband, education and career, defying convention to study radiation technologies at Tehran University.
Returning to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban, she was asked to re-establish a cancer facility in Kabul, which meant studying first for higher qualifications in the UK. With Islamist insurgency on the rise again, her lawyer husband fled to join her, driving a minicab to make ends meet.
The inventor of a method for improving outcomes of radiotherapy on cancer patients, Shakar has become one of Britain's leading medical entrepreneurs. Ironically, at the same time she has faced one of her biggest battles – to save her own health.
This remarkable woman, winner of a string of awards for business innovation, is also a leading campaigner for girls’ education in Afghanistan. She tells her extraordinary story with disarming candour.
About the Author
Shakardokht Jafari was born in Daykundi, Afghanistan in 1977 & grew up as a refugee in Iran, completing a BSc in radiation technologies at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. After moving back to Afghanistan, she taught radiology at Kabul Medical University. In 2010 she moved to Surrey University in the UK to study a master’s in medical physics, the first Afghan woman to earn a PhD in that subject. She was awarded the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future award. She founded her own radiation technology company, and is a winner of a Women in Innovation award.
Praise For…
‘A deeply emotional and inspiring book that will stay with you long after you turn the last page. A must-read for anyone interested in the history, culture, and politics of Afghanistan and a timely reminder of the resilience and strength of Afghan women’ Waseem Mahmood, author of Good Morning Afghanistan
