Outspoken by Sima Samar

Outspoken by Sima Samar

Sima Samar has spent her life challenging power in Afghanistan. A pioneering doctor, she provided healthcare to women in some of the country’s most remote regions, often at significant personal risk. She went on to become Minister of Women’s Affairs, becoming one of the Taliban’s most determined critics.

Born into a Hazara family and raised in a polygamous household, Samar grew up understanding the consequences of gender and ethnic inequality in Afghanistan. Forced into an arranged marriage, she was still a young doctor when her husband was disappeared by the pro-Soviet regime. In the aftermath, she faced a stark choice: retreat into safety or dedicate herself to resisting injustice in all its forms. 

Over decades of war, displacement, threats and exile, she has remained unwavering in her commitment to women’s rights and human dignity, building institutions, delivering care and refusing to be silenced. This memoir is her account of a life lived at the centre of Afghanistan’s most turbulent history – an intimate and unflinching testimony of courage, loss and enduring resistance.

'Memoirs don’t come much more inspirational than this…Acknowledging that “most of the world sees us as a people at war”, Samar carefully balances a steely indictment of her country’s repressive tendencies with an affection for her heritageIt’s a crucial complement to American narratives about Afghanistan.' * Publisher's Weekly *
'Illuminating. . . . Sima Samar relates the embattled history of Afghanistan with lucid facts personalized with deeply felt impressions about her homeland’s perpetual unrest. The author opens readers’ eyes to the harsh realities of life for Afghan women. . . . Vital. . . . Samar’s lifelong legacy of resistance and resilience is palpably present in this memorable self-portrait.' * Kirkus Reviews *

Sima Samar is an Afghan doctor, human rights activist and advocate for women’s rights. She founded the Shuhada Organization and served as Afghanistan’s Minister of Women’s Affairs and as Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. Her work has been recognised with numerous international honours, including the Right Livelihood Award, the Profile in Courage Award and the Ms. Magazine Women of the Year Award. She is currently a Visiting Scholar and Fellow at Tufts University. Sally Armstrong is an award-winning author, journalist and human rights activist.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781849251143
ISBN 10	1849251142
Title	Outspoken
Author	Sima Samar
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Saqi Books
Year published	2026-08-06
Number of pages	352
Prizes	Winner of Right Livelihood Award 2012 (Afghanistan), Winner of Mother Teresa Memorial Award 2012 (Afghanistan), Short-listed for Moore Prize for Human Rights Writing 2024 (UK)
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.