Afghan human rights activist Sima Samar won the third Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award Monday. The government-funded Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) will confer the award and a 100,000 US dollar grant to her on December 10. 

Samar is the chair of the first Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. She oversees human rights programs, a nationwide women's rights program, and the investigation of human rights abuses.

In 1989, Samar established the Shuhada Organization -- the oldest Afghan non-governmental organization and the largest woman-led organization that runs health, education, and income generation projects for women and girls in Afghanistan and in Pakistan. The organization operates 12 clinics, 4 hospitals and 74 schools.
 
Samar served as deputy prime minister and minister of women's   affairs in the interim administration of Afghanistan.  During that time she established the first Afghan Ministry of Women's Affairs to help improve the rights and status of women.