Asia-Pacific greets safely in times of COVID-19

Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2020

Together with other basic protective measures such as washing hands frequently, avoid touching face, eyes or nose, and covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, social distancing is known to be one of the practical actions that can be implemented at all levels to stay healthy and avoid infection. The “Greet Like Me” initiative was inspired by the “Salam for Safety” campaign created by UN Women Afghanistan, which encourages the use of the traditional greeting knowns as “Salam” (peace) that involves the gesture of placing a hand on the chest, instead of shaking hands.

#MyRedLine2 brings women’s rights campaign to farthest reaches of Afghanistan

Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Nearly 100 human rights activists from 10 provinces of Afghanistan gathered today by the tomb of Gawharshad Begum to launch #MyRedLine2, the second phase of a social media campaign to ensure women’s rights are protected in any future peace settlement. The gathering took place in the garden of the tomb in Herat, in the country’s west. Gawharshad Begum (1378-1457) is remembered as a great Afghan woman who, with her husband the emperor of the Timurid Empire, led her people in a cultural renaissance.

Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway Support Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Afghanistan by providing USD12 million to UN Women

Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2019

[PRESS RELEASE] The Government of Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Norway signed a joint cooperation agreement worth USD 12 million with UN Women Afghanistan in Kabul, today. The assistance supports UN Women to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in Afghanistan for four years, (2019-2022).

Once is more than enough

Date: Wednesday, March 20, 2019

In no other time since I was born, has peace ever been so close. And in no other time have I felt the urge to take part in shaping the future of a country that knew only war for as long as I know myself, the country I call home - Afghanistan. As an Afghan and as a journalist I got to know my country inside out, I listened, learned and told the world stories of Afghans of all...

#MyRedLine – A social movement cataloguing where Afghan’s stand on women’s rights and peace

Date: Monday, March 18, 2019

Farahnaz Forotan, in partnership with UN Women Afghanistan launched “ #MyRedLine ” - an online campaign cataloguing where Afghan’s stand on women’s rights and peace, harnessing the voices of Afghan women and men on what matters most to them. Afghanistan has demonstrated significant progress in equal access to women and men to participate in all parts of Afghan society from education to the police, from media to medicine. #MyRedLine , a campaign by Farahnaz Forotan,...

In the words of Palwasha Hassan: “The time is now to transform that suffering into our strength”

Date: Tuesday, November 13, 2018

Palwasha Hassan is a mobilizer who fought for the rights of women to be enshrined in Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution. She is an advisor at the country’s High Peace Council (which is tasked with negotiating with elements of the Taliban), and also the Executive Director of the Afghan Women’s Educational Centre (AWEC). She has been a political and women’s rights activist since her early youth, volunteering with a women’s movement in 1995...

In the words of Halima Askari: “Our victory is our unity”

Date: Monday, November 12, 2018

Halima Askari became the first woman head of the Provincial Council in Afghanistan’s conservative Wardak province in 2017. She is part of a new generation of women leaders who, little by little, are pushing for the transformation of governance. She ran for national Parliament this year and is awaiting the results. Regardless of the election results, Askari is determined to continue serving her community and advocating for girls...

#HearMeToo: Afghan women, the faces of change

Date: Monday, November 12, 2018

“I feel so proud of my work. So proud of being part of a movement that helps women like me who have survived violence,” says Tabasum Bahar*, eyes flashing with the conviction forged by surviving a painful past. “The women I train want to be independent. We don’t...

In the words of Justice Anisa Rasooli: “Not all women in Afghanistan are women in blue burqas begging…we can be the best engineers, doctors, judges, teachers”

Date: Monday, November 12, 2018

Justice Anisa Rasooli was recently appointed as the first woman to sit on the Supreme Court of Afghanistan. She has been a powerful advocate for bringing more women into judicial positions, including as a leader of the Afghan Women Judges Association, an organization supported by UN Women. Serving for 23 years in the judicial system, Justice Rasooli can remember when stigma against going to a judicial institution was so great that most women would not do so, even to register a marriage. Today, rates of violence against...

Provincial officials visit the one-stop survivors’ centre to study ways to stop violence against women

Date: Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Author: Zohra Baig and Anam Abbas Multan, Pakistan — Ten senior provincial Government officials have gained new ideas about how to stop violence against women and girls after visiting a centre helping female survivors of all forms of violence. UN Women arranged the exposure visit to promote the sharing of lessons and experiences in efforts to end the violence. The officials from Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Sindh and Punjab Provinces visited the Violence against Women Centre in...