On Tuesday, President Trump ordered the withdrawal of more troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. Leaders within his party, as well as global allies, shared their concerns that leaving “too soon” could have a high cost. In a statement to CNN, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that, “the price for leaving too soon or in […]
Despite Warnings, Trump Pushes for Afghanistan Withdrawal
Soon after President Trump fired Defense Secretary Mark Esper in a tweet, he appointed his apparent loyalists and strong opponents of US presence in Afghanistan; Retired Army Col. Douglas Macgregor has been appointed as the senior advisor to the new acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, who has been against US troops’ presence in Afghanistan. Macgregor […]
Taliban Uses Increasing Violence as Leverage in Peace Talks
In a series of targeted killings across Afghanistan, Afghan journalists and members of civil society have become the biggest targets. Today, in yet another violent attack, Afghanistan lost a beloved and experienced journalist and a member of the civil society in Helmand, the southern part of the country. The killing of Elyas Dayee comes a […]
Members of Congress “Urge” Pompeo to Withdraw from G20 Summit
In a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, 45 members of Congress “urge” the Secretary to withdraw from the G20 summit, which will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in November. In the letter, the members expressed their concerns about the continued violations of human rights and the repression of the voices of civic […]
Poland Court Rules a Near-Total Ban on Abortion
Yesterday, the highest court in Poland, the constitutional tribunal, ruled that obtaining abortions for fetal abnormalities violates the Polish Constitution, thus tightening abortion restrictions in one of the strictest countries on abortion in Europe. The tribunal’s president, Julia Przylebska, said that abortions for severe fetal impairment allow “eugenic practices with regard to an unborn child, […]
War in Afghanistan Has “No Islamic Justification”
In an interview, the president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars said that the war in Afghanistan has no Islamic justification. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Raissouni said that the killing of Muslims is a “great sin” and that carrying out suicide attacks against Muslims is “prohibited” in Islam. He said, “I told some of the Taliban […]
Herat’s Women’s Soccer Team Won Afghanistan’s National League Finale
Afghanistan’s National League Finale for both women and men started its ninth season on September 24, 2020. Women’s soccer teams from Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Jawzjan, Ghor, and Bamiyan played in this year’s season in Kabul. Team Herat won the title for Women’s Football (American soccer) League after defeating Kabul 3-2 in a thrilling match on […]
Violence in Afghanistan Rises While Peace Talks Resume
More than a month after the Afghan peace talks began in Doha, Qatar, the Taliban has increased its attacks on both Afghan civilians and the Afghan army. While the Taliban continues to engage in the peace talks with the Afghan government, the group continues to use violence as leverage in the Intra-Afghan Talks. The war […]
Afghan Women Leaders: The Taliban Must Recognize Today’s Afghanistan
At an event held yesterday at the United States Institute of Peace, the Afghan Minister for Women’s Affairs, Hasina Safi, stressed that we must build on the achievements of the Afghan people, especially Afghan women. In her remarks, Minister Hasina Safi said, “There have been significant gains in all sectors. Today when we speak of […]
Mexican Women Protest for Legalized Abortion
Yesterday, on International Safe Abortion Day, hundreds of women in Mexico City clashed with the police during protests demanding nationwide legalized abortion in Mexico. The protestors donned green bandanas, the symbol of the Latin American pro-choice movement, and threw Molotov cocktails and bottles at police lines. Much of the police force was comprised of female […]
President of Afghanistan Signs Amendment to Include Mothers’ Names on Children’s Birth Certificates
In a historical move, President of Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani signed an amendment for mothers’ names to be included in Afghan national IDs. The movement began by Laleh Osmany in 2017 in the Herat province with the hashtag #WhereIsMyName. The goal was to push for mothers’ names to be included on official documents, including their children’s […]
Afghan Peace Talks: Focus on Ceasefire and Women’s Rights
Months after an agreement was signed between the United States and the Taliban, the Intra-Afghan talks began this week. The opening ceremony received international attention, and many of the speeches given by representatives from partner countries focused on ceasefire and women’s rights and human rights. Afghan women have made clear that they will not accept […]
Afghanistan Gains a Seat on the UN Commission on the Status of Women
On September 14, 2020, for the first time in history, Afghanistan secured a seat at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Afghanistan received the highest amount of votes and committed to promoting gender equality and women empowerment globally. Adela Raz, Afghanistan’s representative to the UN, said that it is of “critical importance during Peace […]
Mexican Feminists Take Over Federal Building in Response to Femicides
Last week, feminists rushed the National Human Rights Commission federal building in downtown Mexico City, ejecting workers and declaring the site a shelter for victims of violence. The action is a latest in a series of increasingly radical measures taken by feminist collectives in response to the high rate of femicides in Mexico. On average, […]
Afghan Women’s Groups Call for Meeting with Taliban Leadership to Discuss Equal Rights
Ahead of the Intra-Afghan talks, expected in days, a coalition of Afghan women’s rights groups have released an open letter to the Taliban leadership calling for a peaceful resolution to the four decades of war, reaffirming their position to preserve and build on the gains of the last 20 years, and calling for a meeting […]
Protests Surge Amid Growing Rates of Gender-Based Violence in Turkey
Protests have stirred across Turkey in recent weeks as thousands of women have taken to the streets to rally against gender-based violence. Wednesday saw some of the largest rallies yet in response to the rising femicide rates and violence against women in Turkey. Most recently, last month’s brutal murder of Pinar Gültekin, a 27-year-old university […]
New Podcast Encourages Iranian Women to Share Stories of Domestic Violence
A new podcast in Iran helps women share stories of domestic violence and raises awareness about the lack of support systems in place for Iranian victims. The podcast is run by an Iranian woman who was herself a victim of domestic violence. In Iran, domestic violence is seen as a private issue, and victims are […]
New Study Reports 50% of Gen Z Men Think Feminism Has “Gone Too Far”
The UK-based advocacy group HOPE not hate recently released a July 2020 report detailing the attitudes and actions of 16 to 24 year-olds in the age of COVID-19. This study, titled Fear and Hope, studied over 2,000 Generation Z individuals to determine their attitudes about domestic and global politics. The study found that approximately 50 […]
Afghan Women and Their Allies Call for Meaningful Participation Intra-Afghan Peace Talks
Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS) and Cordaid, a leading Dutch relief and development organization hosted a virtual discussion on Afghan women’s role in the upcoming intra-Afghan talks on July 28, 2020. Panelists included former Ambassador of Afghanistan to Norway Shukria Barakzai; former Afghan Minister of Mines, Petroleum and Industries Nargis Nehan; former […]
Reports Reveal China’s Campaign to Forcibly Sterilize Uyghur Women
Reports Reveal China’s Campaign to Forcibly Sterilize Uyghur Women Reports and victim testimonies have brought to light a mass forced-sterilization campaign undertaken by the Chinese government against the Uyghur people. Many Uyghur women have recounted having their fallopian tubes forcibly cut or having IUDs inserted against their will. Others, after being taken to one of […]