Aryana is a PhD candidate at the College of Asia and the Pacific (CAP), The Australian National University. She is also an Afghan-Australian journalist and reporter. Before joining CAP as a research scholar in July 2023, Aryana worked for over seven years as a journalist and reporter for commercial media organisations and as a radio announcer, news producer and news coordinator for community radio stations based in Queensland, Australia. She has published numerous articles relating to women’s resistance in Afghanistan, refugee and migrant issues in Australia, Indigenous leadership and rights in Australia, and Australian politics and national affairs, and also investigated and presented radio stories relating to the impacts of war and conflict on diaspora communities, environmental policies and global climate change strategies, and feature stories of leading local activists and writers. Alongside working in the journalism industry, Aryana has worked closely with diverse communities by leading media and communications strategies for community organisations to address social issues such as women’s political participation, youth leadership and mental health education in refugee and migrant communities.  She holds a Bachelor of Journalism and Arts degree (BJ/BA) majoring in International Relations, and a dual Master’s degree in International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies (MIR/ MPaCS) from the University of Queensland (UQ).  Aryana currently researches the interconnections between emotions, women’s resistance, repressive and totalitarian regimes and media representations in Central and South Asia, with a specific focus on Afghanistan. A central question in her research: How do Afghan Women Resist? Her thesis covers the dynamic relationship between women’s resistance efforts, repressive and totalitarian regimes and media representations and politics through a post-colonial feminist lens.