Zarifa Qazizadah, 50, is a wonder woman: She got her village in Afghanistan wired for electricity, facilitated construction of a bridge connecting the town with a major road, and will, if called upon, arrive at your home at night, armed, disguised as a man and riding a motorcycle to help deal with trouble.
Despite being married off at age 10, a mom at 15 and spending her teen years as “little more than a servant,” sheer force of will has elevated Qazizadah to head of her village. She also leads the local women’s council and hosts meetings for local women, where she encourages them to follow her example. All this while attending to 15 kids and 36 grandchildren.
