Mozhdah Jamalzadah

Mozhdah never calls herself the "Oprah of Afghanistan". That's just the name her adoring global audience-which includes individuals like Barack and Michelle Obama as well as Ms. Winfrey herself-has given her. That's because, like Oprah, this Kabul-born, Vancouver-based icon has sparked conversations and inspired women all over the world as a bold, big-hearted example of female leadership. Through her internationally renowned music career and groundbreaking television show The Mozhdah Show, Mozhdah has inspired profound respect and serious controversy in equal measure. She's the first Afghani artist to produce hit records in English, capturing a global audience and performing on international stages. She's the first Afghani woman to brave death threats in order to host her own talk show and cover sensitive subjects impacting Afghani women and children. She's the first Afghani female artist to perform in the White House, or appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show, or express her mission of empowerment on CNN. Other pop artists and media figures may be known as daring, even groundbreaking, but Mozhdah's courage is on another level. A singular voice in music and media, she's risked everything in order to express herself-along with the deepest hopes of women across the planet.