Frontrunner: The Afghan Woman Who Surprised the World

"The heroic story of the first woman to run for President of Afghanistan. Frontrunner introduces us to Dr. Massouda Jalal, a mother of three children, whose campaign inspired thousands of women across the country to participate in the democratic process. 

"As a children’s advocate during the Taliban regime, Dr. Massouda Jalal risked her life on a daily basis. Now, she boldly runs for president – the only woman in a field of 17 candidates. Amidst death threats and bomb attacks, we follow Massouda as she doggedly campaigns from the back of a taxi, in mosques, in homes, in busy markets and in the streets. We accompany her as she travels to radio stations (trying to convince skeptical callers that a woman can indeed run a country), watch as she films a political ad, and eavesdrop on her strategy sessions. She receives support from AWAZ Media, a non-profit organization that has been enlisted by the UN to provide resources – strategy, equipment, know-how – to all the candidates..

"In Frontrunner, Jalal emerges as a committed, confident woman who defies all Western stereotypes of who a Muslim Afghan woman can and “should” be. Although she ultimately lost the election to Hamid Karzai, her courageous campaign opened the door for over 550 women to run for Parliament just a few months later." 

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