Featured presenters included Dr. Sima Samar, former Afghan Minister of Women’s Affairs and current Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission; Gaisu Yari, former advisor to the Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs and a masters’ student in International Relations at Colombia University; and Belquis Ahmadi, Senior Program Officer at the United States Institute of Peace.
Russian Opposition Leader Arrested Amid Anti-Putin Protests
Navalny was sentenced to 30 days in jail for organizing Monday’s unauthorized protests, which drew thousands to the streets. He intends to run for president of Russia in the coming year on a democratic, anti-corruption platform.
Devastating Kabul Bomb Kills 90, Wounds 400
The suicide bomb was detonated at 8:22 am near Zanbaq Square, a busy market and diplomatic area. The attack, which hit just days after the start of Ramadan, targeted civilians, killing many innocent women and children.
U.S. Cities and States Take Leadership In Wake of Climate Agreement Withdrawl
President Trump announced on Thursday that the United States will withdraw support from the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, an international promise reached among 195 world leaders to reduce the impact of climate change and limit greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions to help reign in global warming. The only countries not to sign onto the original agreement were Nicaragua, Russia and Syria.
Boko Haram Releases 82 Chibok Girls 3 Years After Kidnapping
Last week the Nigerian government announced that 82 of the nearly 300 schoolgirls from Chibok that were kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram in April of 2014 had been released in exchange for five Boko Haram commanders. The kidnapping has been an ongoing subject of public concern, prompting the massive #BringBackOurGirls movement on social media.
Confusion Over Administration’s Decision to End ‘Let Girls Learn’
The email, sent to Peace Corps employees by their director Sheila Crowley, states: “Moving forward, we will not continue to use the ‘Let Girls Learn’ brand or maintain a standalone program.”
Afghanistan Now Has 260 Female Judges
During the Taliban regime that fell sixteen years ago, there were no female judges.
Persecution of Gay Men in Chechnya Escalates
Reports are coming out of Chechnya that a large group of gay men are being held by the government in concentration camps and have been subjected to violent interrogations.
American University of Afghanistan Has Reopened Following Terrorist Attack
The American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) in Kabul has recently reopened after being close for seven months following a terror attack that left at least thirteen dead including seven students and one professor.
Gay Men in Chechnya Targeted by Police
The spokesperson for Kadyrov stated that the accusations made by the Novaya Gazeta were “absolute lies” and went on to claim that “you cannot detain and persecute people who simply do not exist in the republic.”
Afghanistan’s First Female Orchestra
Named after a Persian literature goddess of music, the orchestra’s founder, Ahmed Naser Sarmast, hopes they can help revive Afghanistan’s rich musical tradition that has been muted after decades of war.
Protesters March on White House to Demand an End to Trump Global Gag
On International Women’s Day, the Feminist Majority Foundation (FMF), in partnership with dozens of other organizations, marched on the White House to demand an end to President Trump’s expanded Global Gag Rule.
Abortion Ship Detained By Guatemalan Government
Women on Waves brings women who are up to ten weeks pregnant on board the boat and carries them 12 miles into international water where they take the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol, which are more than 90 percent effective for women early in pregnancy.
Expanded Global Gag Rule Already Threatening Lives
Since Donald Trump reinstated and expanded the Global Gag Rule his first week in the White House, public health non-governmental organizations (NGO), international governments, and even USAID have been scrambling to pick up the pieces and figure out exactly how far reaching this executive order goes.
Afghanistan Sees Increase in Conflict Related Civilian Casualties
According to the UNAMA annual report on the Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, civilian casualties in Afghanistan increased by 3.7% last year, comprising 11,418 conflict-related civilian casualties with 3,498 killed and 7,920 injured. Since 2009 the conflict in Afghanistan has claimed the lives of 24,841 civilians and injured 45,347.
Executive Order Barring Muslims and Refugees from Entering the U.S. Sparks Outrage
Last week, President Trump issued an executive order entitled “Protecting the Nation From Terrorist Attacks by Foreign Nationals” banning the entry of people from seven Muslim-majority countries into the Unites States.
Tillerson Senate Confirmation Vote Expected Soon
Tillerson’s confirmation vote to be Secretary of State, the nation’s highest ranking foreign diplomat, falls at a time of international and national dispute over the actions taken by President Trump during his first week in office.
Trump Reinstates and Expands the Global Gag Rule
In one of his first acts as President, Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday to reinstate and expand the Global Gag Rule, which restricts women’s abortion access worldwide.
Russia Passes Bill Decriminalizing Forms of Domestic Abuse
The bill, which is referred to as the “slapping law” downplays the “battery within families” charge to an administrative offense rather than a criminal one.
Survey of Afghan People Reveals Hesitations and Signs of Hope
The Asia Foundation, a nonprofit international development organization, has released its 12th annual Afghan opinion survey entitled Afghanistan in 2016: A Survey of the Afghan People.