A documentary about Zarqa Yaftali, an education and women’s rights activist, has won the Silver Dolphin award at the 2026 Cannes Media and Television Awards in France.
The documentary film “Educating Hope in Afghanistan: The Story of Zarqa” is among the winners of the 2026 competition.
The film portrays Zarqa Yaftali’s work defending the rights of women and children and supporting girls’ education in Afghanistan.
It also chronicles her challenges and efforts to continue this work amid the Taliban’s restrictions.
The production was made in collaboration with the production company “People” and with the support of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.
In 2026, Yaftali was selected as one of the recipients of the award for her work supporting the rights of women and children and her efforts to promote girls’ education.
The award has been given to a film about Yaftali’s work at a time when, following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, girls and women have faced increasingly severe restrictions on employment, education, and schooling.
These restrictions have put a new generation of girls in Afghanistan at risk of being deprived of education and facing reduced employment and social opportunities.
