With overwhelmingly bipartisan support, Congress overturned President Trump’s veto of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021. It states emphatically that the president alone cannot decide to reduce the number troops in Afghanistan. The Act also includes that the human rights of women and girls and minority populations must be protected in Afghanistan. The House […]
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 […]
“Where Are the Women?”: Afghan Women Absent From Peace Talks
In a series of high-profile meetings on the current situation in Afghanistan, as well as the ongoing so-called peace process, Afghan women were noticeably missing. Soon after the news of these meetings, Afghan women were quick to criticize the Afghan government for not including women in such high-profile meetings. These meetings included the signing of […]
Independence Day Afghan Women’s Handicraft Exhibition Uplifts Communities
This week, a three-day long exhibition of handicrafts made by Afghan women was showcased in Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, to celebrate the country’s 100th independence day. The handicraft exhibition was a part of several other upcoming programs focused on celebrating Afghan culture, people, and history. Women from the capital and neighboring provinces were able to […]
Women’s Rights: A Major Campaign Point in Afghanistan’s Presidential Elections
Afghanistan’s presidential candidates have officially launched their campaigns and candidates are vowing to protect and advance women’s rights in the hope of winning women’s votes. During their public gatherings, two front runners Mr. Ghani and Mr. Abdullah promised to advance the status of women and girls in Afghanistan and that they will include women in […]
Saudi Arabia Ordered a Series of Reforms aimed at Women’s Rights
The Saudi Arabian government announced last week a series of reforms aimed at expanding women’s civil rights including allowing Saudi women over the age of 21 to travel abroad alone and allowing women to file for birth certificates, marriage, and divorce. The new laws require equal employment regulations and criminalize discrimination based on gender, disability […]
Taliban Car Bomb Shakes Kabul as “Peace” Talks with U.S. Continue
Today, after a relatively peaceful period in Afghanistan, the Taliban detonated a car bomb during morning rush hour in Kabul. The car bomb is said to have rocked the entire city, killing at least 16 people and injuring 105 people, including 51 children and five women. The United Nations, NGOs working in Afghanistan, and the […]
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Happy International Women’s Day!
Today is International Women’s Day, but while we celebrate the achievement of women throughout the world, we must also be aware of the injustices that still exist in the United States that prevent gender equality. The U.S. is currently one of six U.N. member states, Pacific island nations of Tonga and Palua, Iran, Somalia, South […]
Prominent Human Rights Lawyer Faces 34 Years in Jail in Iran
After two trials, Nasrin Sotoudeh, a human and women rights lawyer in Iran, faces 34 years in prison as well as 148 lashes after defending women who protested wearing hijabs in public. Multiple organizations, including Amnesty International, are now calling on the Head of the Judiciary, Ebrahim Raisi, and the Mission of Iran to the UN […]
Afghan Women Demand Inclusion in Peace Talks
Over 700 Afghan women from all 34 provinces participated today in a National conference to demand their inclusion in any peace talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan while stressing the importance of preserving women’s rights and upholding Afghanistan’s democracy. This conference was in response to recent peace talks between U.S. officials and the Taliban, a […]
Afghan Women Concerned Over Possible Agreement With Taliban
Afghan government officials have reportedly negotiated a draft peace framework with the Taliban, raising concerns among women’s rights activists in Afghanistan and around the world that any reemergence of the Taliban on the political scene could mean a rollback of women’s advancements in the country, as it did under the Taliban’s previous reign.
Girls’ Hygiene Day Celebrated in Afghanistan
Recently, Afghanistan celebrated Girls’ Hygiene Day and for the first time set forth guidelines that encourage young girls to feel empowered and knowledgeable about their bodies. The Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) guideline attempts to reach teachers, mothers, and young girls to raise awareness of girl’s hygiene and break prevalent menstruation stigma in Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, […]
50th Anniversary of Shirley Chisholm’s Election
Today is the 50th anniversary of Shirley Chisholm’s election to Congress as the first African American woman. Chisholm represented Brooklyn, New York in a district that was newly reapportioned and was majority African American and Hispanic. She served seven terms in Congress and ran for president. Shirley Chisholm was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1924 […]
Afghan Woman Runs in Country’s First Marathon
“I think little by little, I’ll bring change,” said Zainab, the first Afghan woman to participate in a marathon in Afghanistan.
Kabul University to Open First Gender Studies Program in Afghanistan
Kabul University just launched its first Gender and Women’s studies graduate program, the first of its kind in all of Afghanistan. The two-year program is another important step for Afghan women in achieving equality and increasing opportunity. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the mission of this program is “to create a platform […]
Activists Rally for Latina Equal Pay Day
Latina women on average have to wait 10 months into the calendar year to be paid the same as white men in the previous year.
Oklahoma State Court Blocks One Anti-Abortion Measure, Allows Another
An Oklahoma state court blocked a measure yesterday that would have banned the most commonly used method of second trimester abortion. The court allowed, however, a tripling of the state’s mandatory waiting period from 24 to 72 hours.
Women Scientists Receive Less Funding Than Their Male Peers, Study Finds
According to a new study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association, male scientists receive twice as much financial support to kickstart their careers in science and medicine as their female counterparts, an early career inequity that could limit professional opportunities for women scientists throughout their working lives.
Study Finds US Gender Wage Gap Persists
Data compiled by the US Census Bureau this week once again demonstrates a gender wage gap, showing that American women who work full-time, year-round jobs on average earn 79 cents for every dollar paid to men.
Deal in Trans-Pacific Partnership is Reached
The United States and ten other countries have reached an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, leaving environmentalists, human rights activists, women’s rights activists, doctors, and many others concerned.
