Maria Bashir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Maria Bashir
At Attorney General's Office, Herat
Born	1970
Nationality	Afghan
Education	Law
Alma mater	Kabul University
Occupation	Chief Prosecutor General, Herat Province
Years active	4
Employer	Attorney General's Office, Afghanistan
Known for	First woman prosecutor in Afghanistan
Children	Sajad (son) Yasaman (daughter)
Awards	International Women of Courage Award, 2011

Maria Bashir is a very brave woman from Afghanistan. She was the only woman to be a prosecutor in her country for a long time. A prosecutor is like a lawyer who works for the government. They help bring criminals to justice. Maria Bashir has worked for over fifteen years. She has faced many challenges, including threats to her safety.

During the time the Taliban ruled, women were not allowed to work. Maria Bashir secretly taught girls at her home. This was very risky. After the Taliban's rule ended, she returned to her job. In 2006, she became the Chief Prosecutor General of Herat Province. She worked hard to stop corruption and help women who were being treated unfairly. In 2010 alone, she handled about 87 cases.

Because of her amazing work, the United States Department of State gave her the International Women of Courage Award in 2011. This award honors women worldwide who show great leadership and bravery. They often risk their lives to promote women's rights. Maria Bashir was also named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2011.

Maria's Early Life and Education

Maria Bashir was the oldest child in her family. She was a very smart student from a young age. Her father encouraged her to continue her studies after high school. This was special because, in Afghanistan, it was often hard for women to study further.

When she took the entrance exams for college, she had to choose three subjects. Maria wrote "Law" for all three choices. The Minister for Higher Education was impressed by her strong will. He approved her to study law. She finished her four-year law course at Kabul University in 1994. After that, she trained for a year in Kabul to become a prosecutor.

Maria's Family Life

In 1996, after finishing her studies, Maria Bashir got married. Her husband owned a business that imported goods from China. She moved with him to his city, Herat.

Maria Bashir has two sons and one daughter. Her oldest son studies in Germany. Her other two children, Sajad and Yasaman, are taught at home. This is because threats to Maria and her family made it unsafe for her children to go to regular school.

Working Under the Taliban's Rule

Maria Bashir started her career in the Attorney General's office. She worked as a criminal investigator first in Kabul and then in Herat. Soon after she moved to Herat in 1995, the Taliban took control of the city. They stopped women from working.

Maria had to stay at home, like many other women. This lasted until 2001, when the American invasion allowed women to work again. She then went back to her job as a criminal investigator. The Taliban had made it illegal for girls to read or work. This was to make sure women depended on men.

But Maria Bashir did not give up. She started teaching girls secretly at her home. Her students would hide books and other school items in shopping bags. She believed the Taliban's rule would end. She wanted women to be ready to work when that happened. The Taliban knew about her secret school. They called her husband twice to ask about what she was doing.

Becoming a Chief Prosecutor

In September 2006, the Attorney General visited Herat. He was a very traditional leader. He met with prosecutors from four different provinces. Maria Bashir was the only woman at this meeting.

At the end of his speech, she bravely asked him about his plans to improve the Prosecutor's office. She specifically asked about allowing more women to work there. The Attorney General was pleased with her question. He also liked her work as an assistant prosecutor. She had helped bring charges against the husband of the Afghan poet and journalist Nadia Anjuman after Nadia's death. Before leaving Herat that month, the Attorney General appointed Maria Bashir as the Chief Prosecutor General of the province.

Facing Dangers for Her Work

Maria Bashir's new job was not easy. Some people who held extreme views did not like that a woman was in such a powerful position. She also worked hard to fight corruption. She encouraged women who were victims of domestic abuse to take their husbands to court.

She started getting phone calls threatening her to quit her job. Some religious leaders in Herat also issued a statement against women being in public without a male escort. Maria was worried and asked the government for protection. But her requests were not met.

Later in 2007, a bomb exploded outside her home. This happened around the time her children usually played outside. Luckily, it was raining, so her children were inside. Seeing the dangers to her life, the American government hired armed guards for her. They also gave her an armored car.

In another sad event, one of her bodyguards' sons was kidnapped. The attackers thought he was Maria's son. Events like these made Maria's children have to be homeschooled. Maria was concerned that her work was the reason they could not go to a regular school.

See also

In Spanish: Maria Bashir para niños

• First women lawyers around the world