Maryam Rayed is a non-resident fellow at the Afghanistan Policy Lab at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs, where she conducts policy research on sustainable peace, institution building, and civic participation in Afghanistan.

As a Fulbright scholar, Maryam earned a Master’s degree in Governance and Democracy from Georgetown University, focusing on institution building at the intersection of gender, post-conflict intervention, and governance reforms, with a particular emphasis on local governance. She also holds a Master’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies and a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Political Philosophy from Kabul University. Her academic journey includes an Erasmus fellowship, during which she studied at Opole University in Poland and Heidelberg University in Germany.

Before her studies in the United States, Maryam served as Deputy Director of Foreign Relations and Human Rights at the State Ministry for Peace in Afghanistan. In this role, she contributed to regional and international dialogue for a meaningful and inclusive peace process in Afghanistan, while advancing the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) and Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) agendas. Additionally, she worked with the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development and the Directorate of Local Governance on World Bank-funded reconstruction projects, focusing on local governance and sustainable development.

Maryam is the co-founder of the Afghanistan Women’s Think Tank, a civic organization dedicated to promoting women’s political empowerment. She has also worked as a consultant for organizations such as Counterpart International, supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening democratic governance and civic engagement in Afghanistan.

Through her research and advocacy, Maryam hopes to foster peace, advance governance reforms, and elevate the voices of marginalized communities to shape Afghanistan's future.