Shabana Basij-Rasikh, founder of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA), has been named one of TIME magazine’s 100 emerging leaders of 2026 in recognition of her work to expand educational opportunities for girls in Afghanistan.

Her inclusion on the annual TIME100 Next list highlights her efforts to ensure that girls in Afghanistan can continue their education despite restrictions imposed by the Taliban following their return to power in 2021.

One of Basij-Rasikh’s major initiatives was relocating SOLA students to Rwanda after the Taliban banned girls from attending secondary schools in Afghanistan. The move enabled the school to continue its work and provide girls with access to education outside their home country.

Founded in Kabul in 2008, SOLA became Afghanistan’s first boarding school for girls. Following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Basij-Rasikh led the relocation of the school community to Rwanda, where the institution resumed classes.

SOLA now provides education through its boarding school in Rwanda and its online learning platform, SOLAx. The online academy allows students in Afghanistan and elsewhere, including those unable to attend school in person, to continue their studies.

According to reports, SOLAx has reached tens of thousands of students from Afghanistan and around the world, extending access to education beyond the school’s physical campus.

Basij-Rasikh’s recognition comes as millions of girls in Afghanistan remain unable to access secondary and higher education because of Taliban restrictions. Through SOLA, she continues to work to preserve educational opportunities for girls in Afghanistan and those displaced abroad.