Dear John, 

I hope you received Martina's last email about Womankind’s work with women’s rights organisations in Afghanistan. My name is Maryam Rahmani, and I am an advisor/advocate on Afghanistan at Womankind.

Let me share my story with you 

I worked within the women’s rights sector in Afghanistan at a senior level for many years. As a result, when the Taliban took control in October 2021, I fled with my family. I never wanted to leave Afghanistan but for my own safety and my children’s safety, we had no choice.  

Thankfully we secured seats on one of the very last evacuation flights out of Kabul airport. I can’t put into words the scenes of desperation at that airport. The children, including my own, were terrified of being killed.  

But we were the fortunate ones. We got out. So when I arrived in the UK with my family, I joined Womankind to support Afghan women human rights defenders’ in every way we can.

Women and girls are terrified 

Of all the restrictions and bans the Taliban have placed on the lives of women and girls, most concerning is the threat to safety. There are school-aged girls in villages across the country being forcefully married to older men, in places where this is no internet. No-one sees what is happening to these girls. And women are disappearing off the streets and are being placed in prison for just leaving the house. 

While the world has moved on to other wars and disasters, life is being drained from the women who have stayed in Afghanistan, those who are trying to keep women-led organisations running and provide basic services and support for women.  

We must stand with Afghan women and girls in their hour of need.  

Womankind will work to distribute vital funds and set up new programmes alongside Afghan women's rights organisations. Together, we are committed to challenging and countering the rollback on women’s rights and helping to sustain women’s movements and networks. 

I hope that you will join us in doing the same by making a donation today. 

With best wishes, 
Maryam Rahmani 
Advisor/Advocate: Afghanistan