Institute of Politics

After growing up in Kabul and attending college in the U.S., Shabana Basij-Rasikh returned to her native Afghanistan to lead the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), the country's first boarding school for girls. She's shared her vision for Afghan women as a featured speaker at the Clinton Global Initiative, TED, and the Aspen Ideas Festival. On April 4, 2014, she came to the University of Chicago to share her own experiences with students and community members and provide in-depth look at the challenges facing Afghan women today -- and why she believes educational opportunities are the key to the country's long-term future.