Parastou Ashori is an Afghan journalist and women’s rights advocate whose work focuses on amplifying the voices of Afghan women and documenting stories of resilience under the the Taliban rule. Born in 2003 in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, she grew up witnessing the inequalities faced by women and girls, experiences that shaped her commitment to storytelling and women's rights advocacy. 

As a teenager, Parastou began teaching literacy classes to girls who were forbidden from attending school, believing education could serve as both empowerment and resistance. 

Now based in the United States, she recently graduated from Suffolk University with a degree in journalism and writes for HerStory, where she interviews Afghan women and shares stories centered on courage, survival, and social injustice. Alongside her journalism, she participates in advocacy campaigns and digital storytelling projects that raise awareness about the ongoing restrictions on women’s rights and education in Afghanistan.