Meena Keshwar Kamal

Afghan feminist revolutionary who founded RAWA and resisted Soviet/Taliban oppression

Meena Keshwar Kamal (1956-1987), founder of the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), redefined resistance in patriarchal Afghanistan. While most know Malala Yousafzai's story, Meena's earlier crusade combined feminist theory with armed struggle against Soviet invaders and fundamentalists - a unique duality most Western activists never face.

Establishing RAWA in 1977 at age 21, she organized underground schools when the PDPA regime banned women's education. Her magazine Payam-e-Zan (Women's Message) circulated feminist manifestos disguised as grocery lists. When Soviet tanks rolled in 1979, she didn't just protest - she trained rural women in guerrilla tactics while simultaneously running orphanages.

What truly made Meena's approach unique was her 'Three Enemies' doctrine:

1. Foreign occupiers (Soviets)
2. Religious extremists
3. Cultural misogyny