The order the State Department has received to close the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) by April 2025 has left many Afghans and military veterans shocked and upset at this decision. The program has not officially closed yet, but all signs point to its permanent shutdown. The decision to close CARE means […]
Plan to Shut Down Afghan Resettlement Office Leaves Thousands of Afghan Allies in Limbo
The U.S. State Department has ordered the Office of the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to prepare for closure by April 2025, a decision that has raised significant concern among advocates and Afghans awaiting resettlement. The decision affects some 200,000 individuals, including family members of Afghan-American U.S. military personnel, minors awaiting reunification with their […]
The Cost of Cutting Foreign Aid
In his first week in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order pausing all federal funding for foreign aid for 90 days. The order, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” is expected to have detrimental effects on health, safety, and essential services in communities worldwide. Following this order, Trump and Elon Musk have […]
Over 100 Organizations Urge Congress to Reverse Trump’s Executive Order on Refugee Resettlement
A coalition of 123 national, state, and local organizations from across the United States (U.S.) is calling on Congress to rescind President Trump’s executive order “Realigning USRAP.” The executive order has suspended the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) and frozen humanitarian assistance to millions of people needing assistance. The Feminist Majority Foundation, among the signatories, […]
Trump Reinstates Global Gag Rule, an Assault on Women’s Health around the World
Photo from Unplash Donald Trump has begun his second term in office by signing an executive order that prevents foreign organizations receiving U.S. global health assistance from providing information, referrals, or services for legal abortion, or advocating for access to abortion services in their country. This policy is widely known as “The Global Gag Rule.” […]
Eligible Afghan Refugees Denied Access to Resettlement Following Trump’s Executive Orders
On Jan. 20, President Donald Trump introduced a slew of executive orders including the swift signing of an order suspending the resettlement of all refugees to the United States for an indefinite period of time. As a direct effect of this order, more than 1,600 Afghans who had been approved by the U.S. Government to […]
The International Criminal Court Seeks Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders Over Gender Persecution
In a historic decision, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders for widespread violations of the Rome Statute, the treaty that underpins the court’s jurisdiction. The move underscores growing international outrage over the Taliban’s systemic abuses against women and other vulnerable groups in Afghanistan since their return to power […]
Afghan Women Denounce Taliban’s Ban on Medical Training
The Taliban has banned education for Afghan girls and women beyond the 6th grade for over three years and higher education for two years. Until recently, the only pathway for education that remained was medical institutions for Afghan women. Two weeks ago, the Taliban announced that female students would be barred from attending medical institutions […]
Human Rights Day – A Day of Mourning for Afghan Women
December 10 is International Human Rights Day. It is a day to commemorate human rights for all regardless of their background, ethnicity, and gender. In Afghanistan, this day stands as a stark reminder of the fundamental rights Afghan women have been denied by the Taliban regime. Afghan women are mourning the loss of their fundamental […]
Proposed Bill Would Lower Iraq’s Age of Consent to 9 Years Old
The Iraqi parliament is facing mounting pressure from civil society, women’s rights groups, and activists as it considers amendments to the Personal Status Law that could drastically affect the rights and well-being of women and girls in Iraq. If passed, these amendments would lower the legal marriage age from 18 to as young as nine […]
Taliban: “80 Percent of Women’s Rights have been Provided”
When the Taliban took power in 2021, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman, promised that “the Taliban would honor women’s rights within the norms of Islamic law.” Three years later, Sait-ul-Islam Khyber, the Taliban’s spokesman for their Ministry of Vice and Virtue, said “80% of women’s rights have been provided to them. These rights include marriage, […]
The Weaponization of Girls And Women During Conflict
Photo by DVIDSHUB In a recent event on October 28 hosted by the O’Neill Institute of Georgetown Law, a panel of experts convened to discuss the alarming realities faced by women and girls in conflict zones and beyond. The discussion was moderated by Pema Levy who highlighted a stark report released by the United Nations this […]
After the United Nations General Assembly – What’s Next for Afghan Women and Girls?
Photo by de:Benutzer:Eborutta The fight and advocacy must go on louder and more effective. During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meetings in September, the situation of Afghan women and girls received a significant focus. A few major events, including “Global Solidarity with Afghan Women and Girls” and “The Inclusion of Women in the Future of […]
Italy Bans Surrogacy Internationally
Photo by Omar Lopez Italy’s recent ban on international surrogacy, spearheaded by the far-right party led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has ignited controversy and raised concerns about LGBTQ+ rights in the country. This legislation expands upon an existing domestic surrogacy ban, further limiting options for couples seeking to have children through this method. The move […]
Afghanistan Under the Taliban is “A Graveyard for Women’s Dreams”
Photo by Nk Ni The Taliban has not stopped their aggressive efforts of restricting and regulating women’s lives. Late August of 2024, the Taliban released a 114 page, 35-article that proved to be the “first formal declaration of the vice and virtue laws in Afghanistan since the takeover.” Edicts in the article include: a mandatory call […]
Three Years Without Education: Its Impacts on Afghan Girls and Afghanistan
Photo by Nk Ni September marked 3 years since the Taliban banned education beyond the secondary level for Afghan girls. More than 1,100 days have passed and there is no progress in reinstating education for girls in Afghanistan. The absence of education has also led to mental health issues – teenage girls struggling everyday not being […]
Four Countries Take Afghanistan to the International Court of Justice Over Violations of CEDAW
Photo by *rboed* In a historic move, four countries — Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands — are taking Afghanistan, under the Taliban regime to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over their severe violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. The announcement at the UN General Assembly marks a significant international response to what […]
Afghanistan’s Health System in Decline: More Clinics Forced to Close Under the Taliban Rule
Photo by Hush Naidoo Jade Photography Before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, “donor development aid for Afghanistan’s public health system was approximately six times the government’s own expenditure on health.” Since August 2021, after the Taliban took power by force, international funding has significantly decreased as many donors pulled their funds. Given Afghanistan’s heavy […]
The Impact of Gender Violence on Kenya’s Female Athletes
Photo by by Narnabi Ugandan Track and Field Olympian Rebecca Cheptegei was murdered by her partner, Dickson Ndiema, just weeks after returning from the Olympic games. The initial dispute between the couple concerned land she had purchased in Kenya to live closer to training facilities; Ndiema quickly turned violent and doused Cheptegei with petrol and set […]
Apartness: How South Africa’s History of Apartheid Guides the Future for Afghanistan’s Women and Girls
Photo by Gregory Fullard In 1973, after decades of racist policies by South Africa’s National Party, the United Nations ratified a document that officially defined racial apartheid. This convention defined the crime of apartheid as “inhuman acts committed for the purpose of establishing and maintaining domination by one racial group of persons over any other racial […]