The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) works alongside our Afghan partners to advocate for women and girls in Afghanistan, who face some of the worst discrimination in the world. Through our Onward for Afghan Women initiative, we elevate the voices of Afghan women, inform global policies on Afghanistan, and urge the international community to prioritize and champion women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan
Women in Afghanistan have been relegated to second-class citizens. We are part of a growing campaign to recognize and codify “gender apartheid:” a legal framework that accurately describes the Taliban’s criminal treatment of Afghan women and could hold them accountable. We organized high-level events throughout the year to amplify calls to codify gender apartheid, working closely with Afghan partners and the Atlantic Council, Malala Fund, International Peace Institute, United Nations, and others. We also published an opinion article with the Washington Post to describe how Afghan women have been erased from society–and why this is nothing less than gender apartheid. We frequently contribute to discussions on this topic and are a member of a high-level expert group on gender persecution and gender apartheid.
Shaping Policy on Afghanistan
We advise on broader Afghanistan policy and connect decision-makers in the US Government and the United Nations with Afghan women leaders in our network to ensure their perspectives are heard. For example, we convened 300 participants across Afghan civil society to directly engage with top US State Department leaders on Afghanistan. We organized several topic-specific expert exchanges with policymakers, in our role as one of two invited partners of the U.S.-Afghan Consultative Mechanism (USACM). We also organized consultations with Afghan women and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Afghanistan to inform his report to the Human Rights Council. Other engagements took place at strategic moments, such as ahead of a UN Special Envoys Meeting in Doha,the United Nations General Assembly, and at the Human Rights Council session in Geneva, Switzerland, where we hosted two events and presented at the Enhanced Interactive Dialogue. We use our platform to call for Afghan women to be included in these significant discussions about their country’s future.
“The Taliban are methodically and intentionally making Afghanistan unlivable for women. Thanks to your support, we continue to work alongside our courageous Afghan partners to sound the alarm on gender apartheid and identify creative strategies to push back against the Taliban’s oppressive behavior.” -Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
Our Afghan Partners
We continue to work with many of the Afghan women leaders whom we helped to evacuate from Afghanistan in 2021. We hosted our third annual retreat for our Afghan partners on campus this spring, which served as a rejuvenating reunion for our Afghan community and an opportunity for strategic discussions with policymakers in Washington, DC.
“We are women from diverse backgrounds, united by a common purpose: to support and uplift our Afghan sisters in their quest for peace, equality, and justice,” said Lima Anwari, a participant in the GIWPS retreat.
A highlight of the retreat was a luncheon with former Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan Sima Samar, who was a frequent visitor to Georgetown over the last 20 years but had not returned to Georgetown since the Taliban takeover.
Engaging the Georgetown Community
Two Afghan women received Master’s degrees from Georgetown University this year, thanks to donor support. Salma Alokozai and Nasim Azizi began their tenure at Georgetown in 2022, following their evacuation from Afghanistan, and were able to graduate with degrees from the Global Human Development program. Georgetown aspires to scale its support for Afghan women and girls and recently joined the “University Network for Afghan Women,” an alliance of 11 founding colleges and universities in collaboration with the American University of Afghanistan. This year our former fellow Roya Rahmani, Afghanistan’s former representative to the United States and the first woman in the position, published a report with the Atlantic Council on how to advance women’s rights under Taliban rule.
Women, Peace and Security Index
Afghanistan ranked as the worst country for women on the Women, Peace and Security Index, our flagship research report which ranks women’s wellbeing in 177 countries. We leveraged this research finding to feature Afghan women at our report launch events, including at the United Nations, and to discuss the status of Afghan women with journalists.
“Amidst a world overwhelmed with crises, the steadfast support of our donors has ensured that Onward for Afghan Women’s mission continues.We remain dedicated to empowering our Afghan partners and securing them opportunities to influence policy at the highest levels. Now, more than ever, GIWPS must shine an even brighter light on Afghanistan and stand firmly alongside our Afghan partners.” –Lina Tori Jan, GIWPS Policy Officer
If you are interested in learning more about our work with Afghan women, please contact Lina Tori Jan at lt638@georgetown.edu.
