Anahita Ratebzad

Anahita Ratebzad
Ambassador to Belgrade
In office 1978–1980
Preceded by	?
Succeeded by	?
Minister of Social Affairs
In office 1978–1979
Preceded by	?
Succeeded by	?
Minister of Education
In office 1979–1980
Preceded by	?
Succeeded by	?
Personal details
Born	1930 Guldara in Kabul province ,  Afghanistan
Nationality	Afghan

Anahita Ratebzad (born 1930) is a female Afghan Marxist and former member of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan and the Revolutionary Council.

Ratebzad was deputy head of state in the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan (PDPA) government from 1980 to 1986. She was the first Afghan woman to play an active role in government and one of the few Afghan women to become a medical doctor. Born in Guldara in Kabul province, Ratebzad attended the Malalai Lycée in Kabul. She received a degree in nursing from the Chicago School of Nursing and an M.D. degree from Kabul University. She became involved in leftist politics and along with Khadija Ahrari, Masuma Esmati Wardak, and Roqia Abubakr became the first four women elected to parliament in 1965. A founder of the PDPA, she was active in the Parcham wing of that party. She served as ambassador to Belgrade (1978–1980), minister of social affairs (1978–1979), and minister of education (1979–1980). In 1986 President Najibullah replaced the Parcham government and Ratebzad fled to Moscow with her companion Babrak Karmal. They returned to Kabul in 1989, but were forced to flee to Moscow again in 1992 when the Najibullah government fell. After the fall of the Taliban government in 2001, they did not return to Kabul.

Ratebzad wrote the famous May 28, 1978 New Kabul Times editorial which declared: “Privileges which women, by right, must have are equal education, job security, health services, and free time to rear a healthy generation for building the future of the country … Educating and enlightening women is now the subject of close government attention.”^[1]

References

1. ^ Prashad, Vijay (2001-09-15). "War Against the Planet". ZMag. Archived from the original on 2008-01-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20080127142441/http://www.zmag.org/prashcalam.htm. Retrieved 2008-03-21. 

• Arnold, Anthony. Afghanistan's Two-Party Communism: Parcham and Khalq. Stanford, CA: Hoover Institution Press, 1983.

Persondata
Name	Ratebzad, Anahita
Alternative names
Short description	Afghan Marxist and member of the People's Democratic Party of Afghanistan
Date of birth	1930
Place of birth	Guldara, Kabul province
Date of death
Place of death