Born: 1941 (circa), Afghanistan (assumed)
Died: Unknown
Country most active: Afghanistan
Also known as: Unknown
When the Soviets invaded her county in 1979, Abedo was among the many who fought back. The mother of nine continued even after losing her husband in the fight. Dressing as a man, she went on to led 200 Mujahideen in the war against the Soviets.
Following the Russian withdrawal in 1989, Abedo returned to life in her village, raising her children and opening a shop where she sold goods largely to people with whom she’d fought. She was independent and respected in her community. “She should be counted as a hero of Afghan history,” said one neighbour, Nek Mohammad. “During the jihad era, we witnessed some male mujahedin commanders signing deals with the Russians to stop fighting. Abedo fought bravely until the last moment, when the Russians left the country.”
Decades later, Abedo found herself caught in a new battle between the government and the Taliban in the 2000s.
“The police would tell me not to sell to the Taliban, and the Taliban would tell me not to sell to the police,” she told the Institute for War & Peace Reporting in 2011. “Finally, the Taliban torched my shop.”
So she called upon 10 young men from the village, formed her own paramilitary unit and, though still maintaining her independence, got a government contract to maintain stability in her area, which made her a target for the Taliban in Helmand District. Her troops, the government and members of the community all expressed respect for her deep knowledge, but her fate after 2011 is unknown.