Women’s Rights & Humanitarian Crises in Afghanistan: A Call for Solidarity
Event details
According to United Nations independent experts, during the one year since the collapse of the previous government of Afghanistan women and girls have been under “systematic oppression” in what constitutes an attempt to erase them from public life. The humanitarian and economic crises in the country have worsened due to political uncertainty and an increasingly unstable security situation, as well as the decline in national and international investment and the freezing of international development assistance. This situation has harmed millions and pushed the population, and in particular already vulnerable and marginalised groups, into poverty and extreme social hardship. Despite many security risks, human rights activists, civil society organisations, and women-led groups continue to resist in Afghanistan and abroad – they raise their voices and represent Afghans, whose rights are violated on a daily basis.
The Centre for Applied Human Rights is deeply honoured to welcome three Afghan University of York students – Nazia Esmat Qani, Fawzia Ehsani, and Mamoon Khawar – to talk about the current human rights and humanitarian situation in the country, refugees, and the response of the international community.
About the speakers
Nazia Esmat Qani has recently completed an LLM International Human Right Law and Practice at the University of York. Her dissertation compares the recent policies in Afghanistan that restrict women’s rights with Sharia law and International Human Rights Law. Before studying for her LLM degree at York, Nazia worked for the United Nations Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA) as a Judicial Affairs Officer.
Fawzia Ehsani is a PhD student at the Department of Politics at the University of York. Her research focuses on the efficiency of regional and international organizations in Afghanistan’s reconstruction after 2001. Before joining the University of York, Fawzia was Deputy Minister for the Afghan Ministry of Transport and Senior Advisor with the High Council for National Reconciliation.
Mamoon Khawar is a PhD student in Politics at the University of York. His research explores the role of warlords in post-conflict states’ governance system and specifically concentrates on the post-2001 state-building process in Afghanistan. Before joining the University of York, Mamoon spent three years with CARE International in Afghanistan as Chief of Party for a USAID Programme.
The event is moderated by Ioana Cismas, co-director of the Centre for Applied Human Rights.