Hasti Yousufi, a Kurdish woman from the city of Sanandaj (Sna) in Eastern Kurdistan, has made history by becoming the first Kurdish woman in Iran to achieve the rank of aircraft captain. With three stripes on her shoulder, she now holds the highest rank for pilots and has gained significant recognition across the country.
Hasti’s achievements in aviation are particularly inspiring given her family background. Her mother is also a trailblazer — a bus driver who operates large passenger vehicles on the route between Sanandaj and Tehran. Together, the mother and daughter have earned admiration for their accomplishments in two traditionally male-dominated professions.
Hasti has become a celebrated figure in Eastern Kurdistan, representing the growing presence and success of talented Kurdish women in fields once considered out of reach.
