ASDD Executive Board Members

President
Shahrbanu Haidari

Shahrbanu is the Co-Founder and President of ASDD.  She has been serving as an advisor to Women7 (W7), the G7 engagement group on gender equality, since 2024. She holds a Master’s degree in Peace Studies from the American University of Rome. Her research focuses on women’s activism, digital resistance, peacebuilding, the Hazara diaspora, and diaspora-led advocacy, with a particular emphasis on Afghanistan.

Vice-President
Sharifa Behzad

 Sharifa is co-founder and vice president of ASDD.  She works to amplify the voices of Afghanistani women and girls and foster opportunities for growth and resilience within the community. Sharifa holds a degree in English Language and Social Work and is currently pursuing her second Master’s degree in International Relations and European Studies, with a focus on migration and refugees.

Secretary
Sediqa Sharifi

Sediqa is the Co-Founder and Secretary of ASDD, where she also manages the organisation’s finances. She has a background in project management and is committed to gender equality, playing a key role in ASDD’s mentorship and education programmes for women and youth in Afghanistan. Currently pursuing a Master’s in International Management at the University of Bologna, she brings experience in governance, communication, and humanitarian advocacy.

ASDD’s Committee Chairs and Team

Education Access & Fundraising Coordinator
Dilan Akbayır

Dilan is a social worker and educator with 8+ years of experience supporting children, women, migrants, and people with disabilities. At ASDD, she expands international education access for Afghanistani young women through partnerships, grants, and fundraising. Her work is grounded in intersectional feminism and a deep belief in education as a tool for transformation.

Communication  Officer
Danilo Melis

Danilo is  committed to expanding education access for women and girls of Afghanistan. With a background in political science and management, he has worked with the UN Volunteer Programme and other NGOs, focusing on education as a tool for empowerment. As a mentor in ASDD’s mentorship programme, he now supports communications and partnerships to create educational and professional opportunities for women in Afghanistan. His work is guided by a strong belief in gender equality, education, and cross-cultural solidarity.

Scholarship Officer
Abdul Ghiyas Kamyar 

After arriving in Italy in 2022 to study for my master’s in International Business and Entrepreneurship, I began helping girls in Afghanistan who lost their right to attend university navigate similar paths. As Scholarship Officer, I offer advice and mentoring to help them find educational opportunities abroad. We grow together!

Sport committee chair
Mahdia Sharifi

Mahdia Sharifi is a Political Science student at Roma Tre University in Rome, focusing on refugee rights, gender equality, and international human rights. She has volunteered with INTERSOS and UNHCR Italia since 2022 and interned with the Jesuit Refugee Service’s Global Advocacy Unit in early 2025. A former member of the Afghanistan Taekwondo national team, she joined the Refugee Olympic Programme from 2023 to 2024.

Education Access Volunteer
Atifa Khawari 

Atifa, originally from Afghanistan and now based in Italy, is pursuing a Master’s in Development and International Cooperation at Sapienza University. With a background in Economics, she volunteers with ASDD to support female students in Afghanistan in accessing scholarships.