In 1970-1971, Gafarova worked as the director of Department of Culture of Central Committee of Azerbaijan Communist Party and in 1971 until 1980, she was the First Secretary of the Party Committee of Baku.
Gafarova has been of the first leaders to convene the extraordinary session of the Azerbaijani Supreme Soviet on January 21-22 and condemn the Soviet authorities for massacre of civilians in Baku on the night of January 19-20, 1990.