Zakia Ahmad, the first Afghan woman to successfully summit Mount Everest, has recently launched a campaign to support the education of women and girls and has called on people around the world to advocate for the right to education in Afghanistan.
This 31-year-old mountaineer from Afghanistan reached the 8,848-meter peak of Everest on June 1st and announced through a message on her Instagram account that her goal in making this ascent was not just a sporting achievement, but to draw global attention to the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.
In her message, she emphasized her efforts to be the voice of thousands of women and girls who have been deprived of their basic rights, especially the right to education and freedom, for over four years.
She stated in part of her message: “Let’s ensure that the voices of marginalized Afghan women are not silenced and that hope remains alive.”
She has also initiated a fundraising campaign and urged her supporters to participate in this program to support the education of girls in Afghanistan.
Additionally, Zakia Ahmad expressed her gratitude to the “Baba Mazari Foundation” for its financial support of her climbing program, stating that the foundation believed from the beginning that her presence at the summit of the world’s highest peak could amplify the voices of Afghan women and girls.
This Afghan mountaineer, also known as “River,” reached the summit via the Khumbu region in Nepal with her Nepali guides and made history as the first Afghan woman to achieve this significant milestone.
It is worth noting that Zakia Ahmad sought asylum in Australia following the political changes in Afghanistan in 2022 but continued her sporting activities.
Prior to climbing Everest, she had an impressive track record in mountaineering, having successfully summited Noshaq in Afghanistan, Mont Blanc in France, Mera Peak in Nepal, and Nanda Devi in India.
She states that reaching Everest is not the end of her journey but an opportunity to draw greater attention to the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan and to increase global support for their right to education.
