Pashtun Rahmat – Afghan Police Officer

As a police officer in Afghanistan, Pashtun Rahmat is breaking down barriers. Working in extremely challenging conditions on a day to day basis, she loves every single aspect of her job.

At the age of 36-years-old, Rahmat loves being on the police force and fights against the stigmas facing women in Afghanistan every day. In fact, policewomen are often shunned by their own communities and sometimes their families, even killed in some cases.

However, more and more women are being recruited into the police force to help erode the current stigmas that exist. Rahmat is helping to make Afghanistan a safer place for women and to help increase the stability of the country at the same time. The need is there, as the dignity and respect of women in Afghan is in jeopardy every day.

In 2016, Rahmat was named one of the 100 most influential women in the world by BBC News. In an interview with BBC, she stated that other women should not waste their time and start defending their rights now.

The name Pashtun refers to a member of the Pashtuns, which is an ethnic group from Pakistan and Afghanistan. The name is derived from the Pashto language itself. The masculine name Rahmat is commonly given to boy as a Muslim name that means “Mercy”.

The name Rahmat is common in Asian places, like Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is given to many notable people, from Rahmat Rival the Indonesian footballer to Mohamed Rahmat the Malaysian politician, even Rahmatullah Rahmat the Afghan politician.