As Country Representative (International) Ms Syed functions as the Plant for Peace organisations diplomat within Afghanistan responsible for creating donor relations, external relations, networking and high level representation.
Ms Hassina Syed, born in Charakar, Parwan, in 1979, hails from a traditional and conservative Afghan society. She has the rare distinction in Afghanistan of being a businesswoman and a politician simultaneously, leaving a mark in both domains. Due to her dynamic personality, business acumen, tact, and language skills (fluent in Pasto, Farsi, English, and Urdu), she has cultivated relationships across all segments of Afghan society, maintaining strict neutrality.
Ms Syed’s passion is to make Afghanistan a self-reliant economy by attracting FDI, exploiting its vast mineral deposits through the Mining Sector, and expanding its agricultural potential.
Hassina became the first and only female member of the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).
Political and Social Contributions
In 2022, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum invited Ms Syed to participate in an Afghanistan panel titled Finding a Way Forward. Other panel members included Hillary Clinton, Former US Secretary of State, Norwegian Foreign Secretary Anniken Huitfeldt, and Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Since the Nobel Peace Prize Forum, Hassina has met Senior Members of the Taliban Government.
- Ms Syed established ‘The Afghan National Organisation for Women’ (NOW) in 2008. As a founding member, she has advocated for girls’ education, women’s rights, access to health and justice, and strengthening women’s roles in the peace process.
- Honoured as Businesswoman of the Year in Afghanistan for 2012 & 2014 by the U.S. Department of State’s ‘Vital Voices Global Partnership and Fortune Alumnae.
- In 2016, Ms Syed became a member of the World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders in Davos, Switzerland.
- Ms Syed has served as a Senior Board member and Advisor for Project 10,000 Women. The project was organised by the Goldman Sachs Foundation to help grow local economies by providing business education, mentoring, networking, and access to capital for women entrepreneurs globally.
Professional Qualification:
B.A & M in Political Science, Karachi University, Pakistan
Training
Ms Syed has participated in various training and capacity-building programs, including technical and skill training courses in Jordan, Nepal, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, and Germany; a USAID small and medium enterprise development program in India; SAARC Emerging leaders training in Nepal; peacebuilding training and Education; Conflict Transformation Across Cultures; and Human Rights and Gender Equality.