Personal background: Helay Irshad, daughter of Mawlana Muhammad Shah Irshad, was born in 1969 in Kabul city. She is married and has two daughters. Her interests include reading political books, listening to political debates and sports. She has traveled to countries including the United Kingdom, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh on trips promoting women’s rights. She speaks Pashto and also Dari, English, Dutch and Russian.

Education: Irshad graduated from Rabia Balkhi High School in Kabul, and attained her bachelor’s degree in Law and Political Science at Kabul University.

Civil society/NGO connections: Irshad is a writer and has been involved in the United States-sponsored Women’s Writing Project.

Previous occupation: Irshad returned to Afghanistan in 2006, having immigrated to Holland during the war years. On her return she served as a gender advisor to the Minister of Education from 2006 to 2007, and then as a gender advisor to the Minister of Interior from 2008 to 2009.