A short documentary highlighting Zarqa Yaftali’s efforts to defend women’s rights and expand girls’ access to education in Afghanistan has won the Silver Dolphin Award at the 2026 Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards in France.
The documentary, Teaching Hope in Afghanistan: Zarqa’s Story, received the Silver Dolphin in the Education and New Work category of the festival’s documentaries and reports competition, according to the official winners’ list.
The awards ceremony took place on September 24. The Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards is an international competition held separately from the Cannes Film Festival.
Produced in collaboration with the production company People and supported by the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, the documentary follows Yaftali’s work to protect girls’ right to education and challenge discrimination against women in Afghanistan.
Yaftali, the executive director of the Women and Children Legal Research Foundation, is a prominent advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan.
She received the United Nations N-Peace Award for peacebuilding in 2019 and was honored with the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in 2026.
The documentary’s recognition comes amid continuing pressure on the organization she leads.
According to Amu TV, five of six employees detained by the Taliban were released after 68 days in custody. However, Abdul Matin Hakimi remained detained.
The World Organisation Against Torture confirmed on October 5 that Hakimi was still being held by the Taliban.
Yaftali dedicated the award to those working for freedom, justice, equality and girls’ right to education in Afghanistan. She emphasized that the voices of Afghanistan’s women would not be silenced.
The documentary has received international recognition at a time when girls in Afghanistan remain barred from attending school beyond the sixth grade, while women continue to be excluded from universities.
The Taliban imposed these restrictions following their return to power in August 2021, making Afghanistan the only country in the world where girls and women are systematically denied access to secondary and higher education.
