Walk in Afghan Women's Shoes

September 30, 2022 | Donor Direct Action



Fawzia Koofi, Asila Wardak, Habiba Sarabi, Margot Wallström, Jessica Neuwirth and Jarai Sabally with delegates at the event co-hosted by the missions of France and Norway.
Fawzia Koofi, Asila Wardak, Habiba Sarabi, Margot Wallström, Jessica Neuwirth and Jarai Sabally with delegates at the event co-hosted by the missions of France and Norway.

"My brothers in this room imagine if the world was ruled by women and you as men were not allowed to leave your home without a woman accompanying you, you were not allowed to wear what you wanted to wear, you were deprived of your basic fundamental human and Islamic rights to education and work. For one minute can you put your feet in Afghan women's shoes and feel the pain?" - Fawzia Koofi at the Security Council, September 26, 2022

Our work with the Women's Forum on Afghanistan reminds us everyday about our mission - to strengthen frontline women's voices in the international arena. September has been a busy month for us. We witnessed Fawzia Koofi speak truth to power at the Security Council where she highlighted the dire situation in Afghanistan today, and the utter failure of international institutions to hold the Taliban accountable for the grave human rights violations that continue unabated (click HERE to see her powerful intervention). Members of the Women's Forum on Afghanistan were also invited to a joint event hosted by the missions of France and Norway where they met with delegates from France, Germany, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, UAE and the US to strategize on ways to strengthen advocacy for Afghan women. In many other meetings with government representatives and UN officials they advocated on behalf of Afghan women and had the chance to meet the new Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, Rosa Otunbayeva - the former President of the Kyrgyz Republic.

Fawzia Koofi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan Rosa Otunbayeva and Jessica Neuwirth
Fawzia Koofi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan Rosa Otunbayeva and Jessica Neuwirth

In one year the Women's Forum on Afghanistan has become a formidable global force that has consistently challenged the Taliban at the international level. As one member of the Forum eloquently put it, "We remind the international community that Afghanistan is so much more than just the Taliban. We represent the people of Afghanistan." We cannot emphasize enough the importance of the Women's Forum on Afghanistan in keeping hope alive for Afghan women and girls. Your support to the Forum will make a real difference.

Sincerely,

Jessica Neuwirth
Director

Be Part Of The Solution

Support
DDA