The Vault Expert: The Woman They Tried to Silence: Zahra Yagana’s Story of Survival and Strength

This week on The Vault Expert, Zahra Yagana is the expert.

Zahra is an author, public speaker, and human rights advocate who has lived through abuse, displacement, and the loss of the life she worked so hard to build.

During our conversation, Zahra shared her experience of living with an abusive husband and finding the courage to escape with her children. Determined to protect them, she created a safe and independent life for her family in Afghanistan.

Then Afghanistan fell in 2021, and everything changed again.

Zahra and her children were forced to leave their home and begin a new life as refugees. Today, she is fulfilling her dream of becoming a public speaker and using her voice to advocate for Afghan women and girls who are no longer free to use their own.

Women in Afghanistan have been denied education, employment, freedom of movement, and the ability to participate openly in public life. Many cannot leave their homes without a male relative, and even speaking publicly can place them in danger.

Zahra refuses to let their stories disappear.

In this deeply personal conversation, we discuss domestic violence, motherhood, escape, the fall of Afghanistan, life as a refugee, rebuilding from the ground up, and the responsibility Zahra feels to speak for women who have been forced into silence.

Her book, ZAN: The Woman They Tried to Silence, shares a story of pain and survival, but also one of courage, determination, and the power of reclaiming your own voice.

Zahra’s story is not only about escaping the life that nearly broke her. It is about the life she built afterward—and the women she continues to fight for today.

Guest: Zahra Yagana

Book: ZAN: The Woman They Tried to Silence

Instagram: @zahrayagana1

Host: Patti Katter

Show: The Vault Expert