The Favored Daughter : One Woman's Fight to Lead Afghanistan into the Future

The 19th daughter of a local village leader, Fawzia Koofi was left to die in the sun hours after her birth by her mother, who didn't want another daughter. But she survived and perseverance and good luck in the face of extreme hardship have defined her life ever since. Surviving the Russian and Taliban regimes, the murders of her father, brother, and husband, numerous attempted assassinations, and all the difficulties that come with being a woman in an oppressed society, Koofi fought, and won, becoming the first Afghani woman Parliament president. Here she shares her amazing story interwoven with a series of letters she wrote to her two daughters before each political trip, at a time when she feared for her life every day. Today, Koofi is one of the most outspoken critics of human rights violations against Afghani women and children, and uses her influence to bring global attention to the situation on the ground in Afghanistan, even as the Taliban gains a presence there. As President Karzai continues to confound leaders worldwide and the Taliban gains power in the region, Koofi embodies the political, sexual, and cultural tensions in Afghanistan, and offers hope for the future of one of the most dangerous parts of the world.

FAWZIA KOOFIthe first Afghani woman Parliament president and a noted activist for women and children's rights. She is currently a leading candidate for the presidential elections in 2014. Koofi was selected as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2009. Before getting elected to Parliament, Koofi was employed by UNICEF as a Child Protection Officer from 2002 through 2004. The mother of two girls, she lives in Kabul, Afghanistan. NADENE GHOURIan award-winning journalist and BBC correspondent.