Afghanistan is not safe. Especially not for women's rights activists. The Taliban have regained control of the country. The lives of women's rights activists, journalists, politicians, and artists are in acute danger. Many are desperately trying to flee Afghanistan. Every woman who does not want to live under Taliban rule and thus resists their oppression and violence is becoming a women's rights defender in Afghanistan.
With this initiative we - HÁWAR.help and the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy - want to do two things: (1) to use our platform and reach to collect donations for Afghan women's rights organisations and those who need our support in this life-threatening situation. And (2) to make political demands for a human rights-based foreign policy.
Activities
Press Conference on our Political Responsibility to Protect Women in Afghanistan
On August 31st 2021, HÁWAR.help and CFFP organised a press conference to draw attention to the humanitarian catastrophe happening in Afghanistan right before our eyes and to make clear demands to the German government. With the radical-islamist Taliban consolidating their hold on power in Afghanistan and the end of the government-organised evacuation flights, hope to get out is dwindling. In these trying times, no one seeking help should be left behind. As Düzen Tekkal, journalist and founder of HÁWAR.help, unequivocally made clear: “Germany's responsibility for the Afghan people does not end with the end of the Bundeswehr mission - it is just beginning”.
At the press conference, Zarifa Ghafari, who was mayor of Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan, urged the international community in a powerful and emotional appeal to stand with Afghan women and men. “We need to start from zero again. But now it is a lot harder.” Zarifa Ghafari managed to leave the country on one of the last evacuation flights to Germany.
“Right now, it feels like people are divided into two classes: those that are saved and those that are left behind,” observed Marjan Haidar, herself part of the Afghan diaspora and one of the organisers of the Global Movement For Peace in Afghanistan: “It feels like Afghanistan is erased from the map, like a part of my identity is erased”.
The overwhelming feeling of powerlessness, anger and sadness which Marjan Haidar described, is shared by Hilar Limar and so many other members of the Afghan diaspora. Hilar Limar has been working for years with Visions for Children in Afghanistan, building schools, advancing education and combating illiteracy. The Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan poses a major threat to all that was achieved by Visions for Children in the past and to the continuation of their work, especially regarding the education of women and girls. Therefore, Visions for Children is one of the organisations the donations reaching Defend Afghan Women’s Rights will go to.
“Governments did not listen enough to the signs,” noted Daniela Schwarzer, Executive Director for Europe and Eurasia of the Open Society Foundations, “civil society organisations in Afghanistan warned early on”. Yet, warnings were ignored and evacuations did not start soon enough. “I’m thanking everyone who was risking their lives on the ground,” Schwarzer said. However, lessons have to be learned to avoid a recurrence of this too-little-too-late evacuation mission.
Kristina Lunz, Co-Founder and Germany Co-Executive Director of CFFP, pointed out Germany’s binding commitment to international human and women’s rights norms, most notably to UN Security Council Resolution 1325, the landmark resolution on “Women, Peace and Security”, and all follow-up resolutions. Germany must honour its international commitments and take a stand for human and women’s rights when they are endangered - as in Afghanistan right now.
We call for:
A quick and unbureaucratic introduction of special contingents for particularly endangered persons such as journalists as well as human rights and women's rights activists.
The establishment of embassy offices for asylum applications on the border with Afghanistan in the neighboring states, so that the escape routes are made as short and as safe as possible, because after the end of the air evacuation many people will flee Afghanistan by land.
Medium- and long-term financial and ideational support for Afghan and international women's organisations and actors working for women's rights in Afghanistan, especially in the field of education.
Holistic psycho-social support and integration measures for Afghans who could be brought to Germany.
