Sima Wali

She was a tireless warrior for human rights and women’s rights in Afghanistan, throughout the country’s darkest days of conflict and uneasy path to peace. Her quiet championing for refugees and for her homeland since the 1980s in the U.S. Congress, State Department, and United Nations led to not only prestigious awards from Amnesty International and Gloria Steinem, but also to the appropriation of millions of dollars to women-led Afghan organizations devoted to building a civil society.

Sima was one of only three female delegates at the U.N.-organized Bonn Agreement, which formed a new Afghan government, following the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

At the conference, she refused to sign the final agreement until her male counterparts permanently included the Ministry of Women's Affairs in the new administration. She won that battle and went on to nominate women to serve in the government and ensured that gender-sensitive language was added into the peace accord.

A Hollywood actress once said to her, “Without the tragedy, you’re the Joan of Arc of Afghanistan.” Sadly, though, her personal tragedy was approaching.

During her last trip to Afghanistan in 2005, she was targeted by Taliban and al-Qaeda forces and narrowly escaped a violent militant attack. She returned home with unusual symptoms as a new enemy, equally as ruthless, was slowly gaining ground from within.

Diagnosed with a rare neurological disease called Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), Sima gradually lost her ability to walk, to move, to eat, and even to talk. The woman who always advocated “to give a voice to the voiceless” could no longer speak herself.

“T-h-i-s i-s m-y w-a-r,” she would spell out, letter by letter, on her alphabet board.

As her condition deteriorated, a three-day hospital stay turned into three months. Against all odds and an unwavering fight by her family to bring her home, she survived for a remarkable year-and-a-half that had very difficult moments for her, but was also filled with silent laughter and joy expressed through her eyes.

Outside of her professional contributions, Sima extended great tides of empathy, sympathy and inexhaustible generosity toward her family, friends and all who crossed her path.

She died peacefully in her home, surrounded by her loved ones.