Biography

Sveto Muhammad Ishoq is an award-winning women’s rights activist, a TEDx Speaker, and social entrepreneur from Afghanistan. A true trailblazer in her field, Sveto is dedicated to empowering women economically and changing the "single story" narrative about her home country. Her work on national and international platforms has been instrumental in promoting unheard Afghan experiences and amplifying Afghan women’s voices during the Taliban regime. Sveto began her activism at age 14 by authoring publications on women’s rights in Afghanistan, and has since founded several organizations, including Ayat and Chadari. Ayat is a social enterprise that empowers illiterate Afghan women to achieve financial independence through fashion, while Chadari is an NGO that raises awareness about the current situation of Afghan women and girls in Afghanistan through community projects, storytelling, and awareness building. Through Chadari, she trained over 300 women through community-building and educational programs. Sveto’s efforts have been recognized by BBC, UNHCR, the UK House of Commons, Daily Express, etc. She holds a MSc in Gender, Development and Globalisation from LSE, a MSc in Global Affairs from Tsinghua University in China, and a BA from the American University of Afghanistan. She is also Afghanistan’s first Schwarzman Scholar and the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the British Muslim Awards.

Meet 2023-2024 Woman PeaceMaker Fellow Sveto Muhammad Ishoq of Afghanistan.