Fatma Afandiyeva was born in the village of Chaykend in the Garagoyunlu mahal (modern Chambarak district in Western Azerbaijan) of Gazakh uyezd, part of the Ganja Governorate. She received her initial education in her native village. She married her cousin, the prominent educator Bala Afandiyev.

Fatma Afandiyeva is best known as the organizer and first director of the Turkish Women’s Club, the first women’s organization in Iravan. During the club’s activities, important steps were taken in the eradication of illiteracy, tailoring courses were offered, amateur and drama clubs were organized, cultural and educational work among Azerbaijani women was carried out, as well as important steps were taken in the fight against religious fanaticism. Fatma Khanum was one of the pioneers of the transition to the Latin alphabet by conducting educational and propaganda work for the enlightenment of women through this club. Under the leadership of her husband Bala Afandiyev, she worked as a correspondent for the newspapers Zangi and Ranjbar, which were published in Azerbaijani with the new alphabet.

Fatma Afandiyeva was also an active member of the Iravan Azerbaijan Drama Theater and performed the role of Gulsum in the play Two Paths or Mahammadamin Azeri.

In 1938, Bala Afandiyev was executed, and Fatma Afandiyeva was sentenced to eight years in prison. Approximately 20 years later, both of them were fully rehabilitated.

Fatma Afandiyeva passed away in 1982 in Baku.

Sources:
Nazim Mustafa. İrəvan şəhəri. Bakı, 2020
İlham Rəhimli. İrəvan Dövlət Azərbaycan Teatrı: 1882–1927-ci illərdə. 525-ci qəzet. 1 mart 2017