Jafari was born in Daykundi, Afghanistan in 1977. Jafari and her family were forced to leave Afghanistan when war broke out, and at the age of six she spent six months travelling as a refugee to Iran. When she turned 14, her father told her she must marry her cousin. However, she managed to convince her parents and the cousin to cancel the marriage. This meant she could continue her education. Jafari completed her BSc in radiation technologies at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in 2000. After moving back to Afghanistan in 2004, Jafari taught in the Kabul Medical University. and completed a master's degree in radiation physics there while working. In 2010 she moved to the University of Surrey to study a master's in medical physics. In 2014 she appeared on Manoto, a Persian television network, discussing her career and education. In 2015 she became the first Afghan woman to earn a PhD in Medical Physics. She was awarded the Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future award for her second year of studies.