Mariam Safi is the founding Director of the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS), established in Afghanistan in 2014 with the aim of building democratic governance through evidence-based research, policy-oriented studies, capacity building, and networking programs. She is also the co-founder of The Afghanistan Mechanism for Inclusive Peace (AMIP) which aims to ensure the Afghan peace process is inclusive by acting as a transfer mechanism for civil society voices to the peace table.

Safi was an Adjunct Lecturer at the American University of Afghanistan, where she taught Peace and Conflict Resolution bringing over a decade of research, strategy-building, and leadership experience in working and engaging with the United Nations, the European Union, NATO, think tanks and academic institutions in Central and South Asia, Europe, and North America. Safi pioneered numerous platforms for women in Afghanistan to publish their research and network with like-minded women researchers.