Vincitrice del Premio 2026
My name is Aghele Mohammadi and I was born in Afghanistan in 1996. During the first Taliban regime, my family was forced to flee because of our ethnic and religious background, seeking asylum in Iran. Growing up as a refugee with limited rights and restricted access to education, I learnt early how gender, ethnicity and religion can limit your access to opportunities. My childhood dream was to study and one day help others do the same; through perseverance and the support of people who believed in me, I completed my education. Those years gave me first-hand experience of inequality and an enduring belief in the transformative power of education.
My academic journey began with a degree in Psychology, where I developed a strong interest in human behaviour and the social dimensions of people’s lives, deepening my engagement with questions of inequality, social justice and structural conditions. In 2022, I moved to Italy as a recipient of the Unipd4Afghanistan scholarship to pursue a master’s in Local Development at the University of Padova, expanding on my interests in feminist and mobility studies.
For my dissertation, Invisible Roads: Afghan Women’s Urban Mobility under Taliban Government, I examined how mobility restrictions currently imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan affect women’s access to work and public space. Using feminist qualitative methodology — combining interviews with participant-generated drawings of their commutes —, the findings reflected both the challenges women face and their resilience and determination in navigating an increasingly restrictive environment.
This research allowed me to connect my personal history, academic training and commitment to women’s rights. Being selected for the Bianca Pomeranzi Prize is a great honour and an encouragement to continue working at the intersection of research, international cooperation and gender justice.
