Maryam never wanted to leave Afghanistan, but she had no choice
Dear Womankind Supporter,
My name is Maryam Rahmani, and I am an advisor on Afghanistan at Womankind. It really means a lot to me that you care so much about women and girls in Afghanistan, whose lives are being so severely restricted, their freedom denied.
Let me share my story with you
I worked within the women’s rights sector in Afghanistan at a senior level for many years. When the Taliban took control in October 2021, I knew that things would worsen for women, and it wasn’t safe for me to stay. 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.
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 forcibly married to older men.
In places where there is no internet, the world doesn’t see what is happening to these girls.
All over the country, 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,
the voices of women who have stayed in Afghanistan are being silenced.
But they are determined to keep women-led organisations running and provide basic services and support for women.
John, if you agree that Afghan women and girls should not be excluded from society, will you chip in to support the campaign and help us to sustain the activists that are bravely carrying on?
Stand with Afghan women and girls in their hour of need.
Womankind is working to distribute vital funds and set up new programmes alongside Afghan women's rights organisations as they grapple with the complex restrictions and barriers in their way. New laws are still being made, which makes the work ahead challenging, with a need for flexibility even greater.
We are supporting three women’s rights organisations in Afghanistan to co-ordinate, advocate and deliver their work for women and girls, but also to ensure Afghan women’s voices are present in national and international advocacy.
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.
