Melbourne-based River Ahmad became the first Afghan woman to summit Mount Everest last month, an achievement she hopes will bring attention to the plight of Afghan women and girls.
Ahmad, who left Afghanistan in 2018 and later settled in Melbourne, has rebuilt her life in Australia and is now a key advocate for the rights and education of Afghan women and girls.
“My main goal wasn’t just to reach the top. My goal is to raise the voice of a thousand Afghan women and girls; women who have been deprived of their most basic human rights in the past five years; education, freedom, and their dreams,” Ahmad wrote on Instagram.
Ahmad hopes to raise $200,000 for an online school for girls in Afghanistan, who have been denied the right to education under the Taliban. Since the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Afghan women have been pushed out of nearly every sphere of public life. A recent report showed that eight in 10 young Afghan women are excluded from education, employment and training.
Girls are currently banned from secondary and higher education, while women are excluded from accessing most jobs and prohibited from visiting parks and public spaces.
Speaking to CNN after her climb, Ahmad said she wanted to show that Afghan women are capable, powerful and deserving of opportunities to pursue their dreams.
Ahmad’s story is one of incredible resilience. As a teenager, Ahmad was travelling by bus from her home province of Ghazni to begin university studies in Kabul when armed men opened fire on the vehicle.
She survived the attack, later recalling how she lay among the dead, pretending she had also been killed. She has said she was one of only three survivors.
After eventually settling in Australia as a refugee, Ahmad pursued education and built a new life in Melbourne. She’s now a university student.
The Mount Everest climb required years of preparation, immense physical endurance and the ability to withstand the brutal conditions of the mountain. Each day, she ran 26 kilometres, spent two hours at the gym, and swam for 40 minutes in preparation.
“When my energy fades, I think about the women I’m climbing for,” she told New Lines Magazine from Everest Base Camp.
After descending from the climb, Ahmad was invited to a reception at the Australian embassy in Nepal. She said it was particularly special given her climb hadn’t received much attention in the Australian media.
“When Allan told me at Base Camp that I had been invited to the Australian Embassy to celebrate the summit, I was absolutely thrilled. I felt so excited and happy. It was completely unexpected, and I was genuinely touched by the invitation,” she wrote on Instagram.
“Australia is now home, and Melbourne is where I’ve built my life, found my community, and made wonderful friends. Sharing a meal and stories with fellow climbers was a really special moment.
“I was disappointed that my climb didn’t receive much attention in the Australian media, but that evening reminded me that recognition comes in many forms.”
“I don’t climb for adventure — I climb for a cause,” Ahmad said on Instagram.
“For education. For freedom. For safety. For every girl who was told to stay small. For every woman still fighting to be heard. This journey is bigger than mountains. It’s about mental strength, self-belief, and using my voice — even when it’s hard.”