Champion for Afghanistan
Remote Learning in Crises and Emergencies Programme.
We are grateful to Mrs Fatima Gailani for championing the Afghanistan strand of the Remote Learning in Crises and Emergencies Programme of the Cambridge Refugee Hub. Given her stature, reputation, and longstanding engagement in peace and education, her association will significantly strengthen our research agenda as well as the education and mentoring programmes.
Bio
Fatima Gailani is one of Afghanistan’s most respected humanitarian leaders, with a distinguished record in public service, constitutional reform, and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. Early in her career, she served as a spokesperson for the Afghan resistance during the Soviet invasion and led humanitarian assistance efforts supporting war-wounded civilians and their families. She later served as an advisor on Islamic law and family issues at the Muslim College London.
Following the 2001 Bonn Conference on Afghanistan, she became a member of the Loya Jirga and was appointed Commissioner in the Constitutional Drafting Commission, contributing to the ratification of Afghanistan’s new Constitution, with particular attention to aligning modern legal frameworks with Islamic jurisprudence.
In 2004, she joined the Afghan Red Crescent Society (ARCS), where she later served as President and Secretary General. Under her leadership, ARCS underwent major institutional reform, including strengthened governance structures, financial accountability systems, strategic planning, and expanded national capacity. She also established a nationally significant programme providing treatment for children with congenital heart defects, through which thousands of children have received life-saving care. She remains active in international humanitarian diplomacy and has held senior roles within the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including chairing major statutory meetings and leading compliance and mediation initiatives.
Fatima Gailani holds an MA from the Muslim College London and a BA from Iran Milli University. She is the author of The Mosques of London and The Jurist Who Became Prime Minister and has received numerous international awards recognising her contributions to peace and humanitarian service.
Interview with Mrs Fatima Gailani