The series is inspired by Phoebe’s upcoming short film, ‘I Did Everything Right’: a story based on her own experience of being followed home. Rather than focussing on the act itself, the project explores the aftermath, and the ways that a single encounter can send ripples through years of a woman’s life.

On launching the interview series with Womankind, she explains; “Hearing other women’s survivor stories has been integral to my own healing journey. Through my short film, and now these conversations, I’d love to have the same effect for other women: to show them they’re not alone in the struggles they’re silently facing, and that the measures they take to feel safe are nothing to be ashamed of.”

Kavinya Makau, Director of Policy and Communications at Womankind Worldwide, adds, “1 in 3 women experience violence in their lifetime. This is not just another statistic, but real harm continuously meted out on women, girls and people of all genders. As Womankind Worldwide – alongside filmmakers like Phoebe Cleghorn and Coralie Ayala – we believe violence against women and girls is a human rights issue and we continue to challenge social norms such as patriarchy that abet this.”

These numbers equate to 840 million women and girls globally (WHO). According to UN Women, those who experience violence are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety disorders and other long-lasting psychological consequences. 

Together, Phoebe, Coralie and Womankind Worldwide aim to amplify women’s voices, explore the toll that these conditions have on women’ s mental health and call for a safer, more equitable world. 

‘I Did Everything Right: In Conversation’ will launch on Instagram via @idideverythingrightfilm and @womankindworldwide on 20th February throughout the day, with a trailer launching on 16th February at 7pm UK time.

ENDS  

For further information, please contact phoebecleghorn@gmail.com.

About the team behind ‘I Did Everything Right: In Conversation’

‘I Did Everything Right: In Conversation’ brings together a team of rising filmmakers. 

Actor, writer and executive producer Phoebe Cleghorn featured on BBC Maestro’s ‘Acting Masterclass’ with Succession’s Brian Cox and Emmy-nominated director James Buchanan, starred in ‘The Government Inspector’ at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, and has been recognised as promising emerging talent with a nomination for Shooting People’s New Shoots: Actors Award 2024.

Campaign content director Coralie Ayala is an award-winning filmmaker and digital creator known for pushing creative boundaries and using storytelling to spark debate and social change. Most notably, she directed ‘The New Normal’, a documentary by food charity City Harvest on the reality of food poverty in London. 

About Womankind Worldwide

Womankind Worldwide is an international women’s rights organisation and funder, working with women’s rights groups and feminist movements across the world to end gender inequality. They take collective action alongside women’s rights organisations, feminist movements and activists in Eastern and Southern Africa and South Asia, supporting them to challenge inequality at home, in communities and the workplace. Womankind fund and strengthen these movements, and advocate for change alongside them. 

About the short film ‘I Did Everything Right’
‘Tamsin is pursued by a stranger. Though she escapes, fear follows her home.’

After escaping an attempted attack by a stranger, Tamsin’s welcome solitude is transformed to fearful confinement as she tries and fails to reclaim her sense of safety. Three years later, the measures she takes to feel safe remain part of her daily routine. To learn more about the project, shooting in spring 2026, visit the crowdfunder or follow the project on Instagram at @idideverythingrightfilm. 

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When the Labour Government came to power, their robust manifesto laid out an ambitious gender equality agenda, which they claimed would halve violence against women and girls within a decade. Widely acclaimed as a ‘new era for women’- Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration showed a commitment to gender equality, focusing on barriers such as the gender pay gap through the Employment Rights Act (2025) and high rates of violence against women girls. 

As a long-standing ally of advancing women’s rights around the world, the UK has championed global efforts from the suffrage era to progressive policies and development priorities; taking a bold stance on gender equality. In fact, the  All In coalition is the latest initiative co-founded by the UK government in ending violence against women and girls- bringing together a coalition of the willing invested in women and girls’ safety. 

Digital IDs and TfGBV 

However, the issuance of compulsory digital IDs raises concerns in tackling gender-based violence (GBV) and technological-facilitated gender-based violence (TfGBV), a significant layer of GBV through digital tools. 

TfGBV, refers to  acts committed digitally such as online harassment and abuse, privacy breaches and surveillance, sexual exploitation and coercion amongst others. These abuses are not isolated or incidental, they are deeply gendered and systemic, disproportionately affecting women, girls and diverse minority communities, reinforcing the existing online and offline inequalities. 

Already politicised, ID cards stand to be additionally weaponised against women and girls in all their diversities – whose vast experiences online have been reduced to pervasive and gendered violence. Women and girls seeking asylum in the UK from conflict zones risk being exposed to data misuse, tracking, and retaliation, and amplifying TFGBV. Keir Starmer is reported to have said that the new IDs mark a ‘’patriotic renewal’’, introducing an additional barrier for migrants seeking entry in the UK. This further raises dire concerns on whose safety is prioritised, and at what cost, positioning the ID as a landmark tool of exclusion and control.  

Harms to freedoms

According to experts, tools such as digital IDs can facilitate TfGBV by creating new avenues that trap survivors in a perennial cycle of abuse through various nuanced ways across the board. These also particularly affect women and girls seeking asylum, as well as those that have domestically experienced abuse. 

Many women asylum seekers have fled persecution, gender-based violence or domestic abuse. Their home countries were part of their trauma and digital IDs can be predisposed to acting as systems of continued surveillance that can be triggering and retraumatising- worse still, exposing them to their assailants should there be data breaches.  

Privacy protections with this new digital ID whittle down gains made in fundamental freedoms such as freedom of expression and freedom of movement. It also represents a significant expansion of state surveillance and state control over women immigrants seeking refuge, peace and safety from war torn nations. Increased surveillance capabilities by the state will also limit social security freedoms of women seeking asylum such as access to healthcare and housing and cut them off from accessing work- critical in securing their livelihoods thus ending cycles of dependence. 

But also, digital literacy challenges could be an additional barrier that they have to navigate excluding them from work opportunities. This is particularly true for those who do not have access to smart phones and secure internet, further trapping those who lack secure devices, thus exposing them to abusers. 

Without robust gender-responsive safeguards, digital IDs risk replicating the very systems of control and harm that women and girls are fleeing. 

Assess TfGBV concerns 

While the government has acknowledged the need for physical ID alternatives for those without smart phones, any offline options sought must be safe without compromising the digital security of asylum seekers. 

There’s need for robust consultations with domestic abuse survivors, including minority groups such as women asylum seekers, assessing the impact of TfGBV risks and including their voices from the onset of execution. 

Digital safety should not be an afterthought, and inclusion of oversight mechanisms and bodies with transparency is key when it comes to data retention, archiving and use. And also, design should be integral with survivors’ safety as core. 

Lastly, digital IDs should not be abused or weaponised as tools of control. Rather the UK government should assess TfGBV concerns while using technology for prevention, response and systemic changes. 

As a supporter of women’s rights, the UK should adopt feminist principles that centre lived experiences when rolling out new technology such as digital IDs. They should not be rolled out to discriminate but be designed without bias through an intersectional approach inclusive of the voices of diverse communities and actively prevents TFGBV. This is work that Womankind Worldwide continues to advance through survivor-centred advocacy and gender-responsive safeguards.  

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As the founder of Womankind Worldwide, Sir Alec recognised that women are a force to be reckoned with when they come together. This shaped our early direction and 36 years later we are still backing women’s rights collectively and heralding them to a feminist future that is just and joyful.

”On International Women’s Day, 8 March 1989, we launched Womankind Worldwide. Reed Foundation provided funding enabling the organisation to establish itself. Through the dedication of a large number of people, Womankind has come a long way in the last 25 years, and I am really proud to be the founder and a life-long supporter.”  –

Sir Alec Reed, Founder, speaking at Womankind’s 25th Anniversary

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From online harassment and cyberstalking to deepfakes and digital surveillance, technology has become a weapon of control and intimidation. Womankind’s B+30 Review Report emphasises that in many instances, the violence all women and girls face online is rooted in the same societal norms that drive violence against women more broadly, including patriarchal structures, misogyny, and discriminatory beliefs. 

Thirty years ago, when the BPfA laid the groundwork for progress in legal protections, social awareness, and support services, it could not have foreseen the digital revolution, a transformation that has created new avenues for harm. Today, technology amplifies old forms of abuse and introduces novel threats that remain largely unregulated, leaving women and girls vulnerable in spaces increasingly central to their social, economic, and political lives.  

Tech is moving fast as BPfA is slowly catching up

Womankind Worldwide’s policy brief: Disrupting the Continuum of TFGBV highlights that digital platforms are typically developed under patriarchal structures, with the implicit assumption that users will be passive recipients rather than active participants. This oversight not only limits the functionality and accessibility of technology for marginalized groups but also embeds gender biases within the very systems meant to empower them. 

”BPfA set out a bold international plan to eradicate violence against all women and girls, urging governments, civil society, and global institutions to take firm action. It acknowledged that violence is a major obstacle to equality and development and, for the first time, provided a framework for accountability. While many legal protections, awareness campaigns, and support services have improved, the rise of digital technologies has opened new, largely unregulated frontiers for abuse.”

A UNFPA study on TFGBV found that 85 per cent of women globally have experienced or witnessed online violence. Beijing+30 is therefore not only a moment to celebrate progress but a critical opportunity to expand the agenda, placing the digital dimension at the centre of the global fight for gender equality. 

TFGBV takes many forms with sexual minorities, women journalists, activists, and public figures often bearing the brunt of coordinated online attacks. These abuses are not only psychologically damaging but can also limit women’s participation in public life, erode confidence, and silence voices that are essential for social change.  

Women’s experience online is being reduced to pervasive violence

In Kenya, reports indicate that the rise of online gender-based violence has pushed some women out of politics and leadership roles as they face extreme harassment, including threats and derogatory comments, especially when they challenge traditional roles. In contrast, in Ethiopia, cases of TFGBV, are often overlooked, minimized, or politically manipulated, distorting the narratives around these issues and impeding progress towards ending TFGBV.  

Similar trends are observed in Afghanistan, where women activists, journalists, and public figures who speak out online face online harassment that sometimes escalates to physical attacks and, in extreme cases, murder. These examples drawn from Womankind’s policy brief on TFGBV, illustrate how TFGBV operates across different contexts, undermining women’s participation and agency in both public and private spheres. When it comes to intersectionality, Amnesty International underscores that in Uganda, for instance, LGBTQIA+ people avoid reporting TFGBV or seeking assistance from the police as they fear being blackmailed, outed, or even arrested under laws that criminalizes their existence. Womankind’s B+30 Review Report asserts that addressing digital inequalities and protecting women in online spaces are necessary steps for advancing BPfA goals in an increasingly digital world. 

An intersectional feminist approach to tackle TfGBV

Addressing TFGBV requires urgent, coordinated action at multiple levels. The urgent need for international governance frameworks and enforcement mechanisms to reflect the realities of digital abuse. 

Civil society and feminist organizations play a critical role in documenting abuses, supporting survivors, and advocating for inclusive, rights-based approaches including advocating for sustained funding for digital safety initiatives.  

Building community-driven technologies that significantly enhance safety and accessibility for marginalized populations cannot be overemphasised enough, especially in addressing the challenges posed by TFGBV.  

There’s need to implement comprehensive digital Literacy Programmes aimed at empowering women and girls, and finally, embedding safety by design in technology platforms that adopt gender-sensitive policies that prioritize user safety and accountability and challenge gender biases.  

”During this 16 Days of Activism, it is especially important to raise awareness of TFGBV and its growing impact on women and girls globally. In this year that marks 30 years since the adoption of the BPfA, we are presented with a vital opportunity to explicitly integrate TFGBV into the global agenda for gender equality, ensuring that progress in the digital sphere keeps pace with gains made offline.”

As we reflect on three decades of commitment, we must ensure that women and girls, in all their diversities are safe in every space.  

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Wangari Maathai alongside mothers of political prisoners camped in the Uhuru (Freedom) Park demanding and petitioning the release of their sons by the then authoritarian Moi Regime (Mothers Hunger Strike 1992, Kenya). When police attempted to disperse and beat them for exercising their right to protest and ask for the release of their children, they stripped naked and asked what kind of government beats women and more so their mothers. The officers, shamed and uncomfortable, left and the mother’s cause garnered much wider and nationwide support. 

This example by the Late Maathai and other legendary feminists, whether they refer to themselves as such – epitomizes what feminist leadership looks like and what it can achieve, actual social and political change. Wangari went on to win a Nobel peace prize and through her activism added onto the blueprint on why feminists should lead in all spheres of life – public and private. 

The case for advancing feminist leadership

From the local to the global level, women’s leadership and political participation remains restrictive and gains made are persistently under threat of regression with the growing anti-gender rhetoric amongst other systemic barriers rooted in patriarchy. This is why we must make the case for feminist leadership as key towards advancing leadership and participation by women and girls in all their diversity. 

Women and gender diverse persons often face compounded biases in decision making spaces. Theyare frequently excluded from participating in decision making and consultation processes due to systemic perceptions that marginalize them. This is because of their gender, economic class, education, employment status, sexual orientation and as such enhance their vulnerability to harm, violence, harassment and abuse.  

Even with key policy and legal frameworks such as affirmative action that create space for women to occupy decision making seats in government, deep seated patriarchal norms and practices still create a hostile environment for women political leaders to thrive and drive change here.  

In Afghanistan, with the Taliban coming back into power, any form of participation of women let alone leadership in government, business, institutions and even the home is now surely non-existent. Anchored on harmful anti-gender and extremist religious ideology, women and girls in Afghanistan are being erased from private and public life as we know it. However, in the feminist spirit of revolt women and girls are still organising and adapting mechanisms to secure their lives and livelihoods, and we must all stand in solidarity to ensure we hold our ground, promote and protect the human rights of all.  

A key approach is to lead from the margins. In the Ethiopian context Womankind partners Ethiopian Women with Disability National Association (EWDNA) and Ssiqqee Women’s Development Association (SWDA) have consistently led work advocating for and supporting the participation of women including women living with disability, in the labour force and at workplace. Under the AWESOME programme they have worked with women in factories providing feminist mentorship, facilitating skills development in personal development, economic and financial literacy. This work has resulted in women leading unions and participating in bargaining for better workplace conditions and even enumeration.   

Collective power in solidarity

Another is feminist solidarity by coming together and through collective power agitating for expediency in advancing women’s leadership and participation. Additionally, we must leverage collective power to support the women and feminists already in positions of leadership and advancing the feminist agenda for all women and girls in all their diversity. Our collective strategy must straddle the spectrum of dialogue and dissent as needed.  

A few months ago, in a country now blatantly influencing nationally and globally under a clear anti-gender and anti-rights agenda – Texas House Representative Nicole Collier spent two nights on the Texas House Floor, quite literally. Even in her elective leadership she found the space to protest when procedure and policy failed. Nicole, a democrat, refused to sign a ‘permission slip’ that essentially forced her to attend a session engineered to amend geographical boundaries.

The Redistricting Law will add more house seats to a predominantly Republican favoured area. Her protest encouraged other female legislators to retract and tear their signed permission slips and join her in the protest. Though it passed, the galvanising of support that resulted was impactful both in the state and in the USA. Very soon after this redistricting law passed. The state of California and the majority democrat led House of Representatives passed a similar law aimed at countering the unfair redistribution by republicans in Texas. ‘Aura for aura’ as Kenyan Gen Z revolutionaries would say, and a perfect example of protest, collective solidarity and allyship. 

Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It should not be that women are the exception (Ruth Bader Ginsburg). The world is changing across all spheres, and we seem to be in the eye of the hurricane with no room for reprieve. As such, in the feminist spirit we must stand ground with gains we have made and advance expediently to claim and reclaim our rights. Occupying and leveraging on feminist leadership and participation in public and private life is a befitting and integral response to the regression being envisaged all over the globe.  

Wanjiru Linda Kroeger is a human rights lawyer and pan-African feminist passionate about women’s rights and gender equality. She’s the Policy and Advocacy Manager, Women’s Participation in Leadership at Womankind Worldwide

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For Afghan women and girls, every day under Taliban rule has been a fight, not just against one group, but against a global system that accepts the unfair treatment of women as normal.

”Womankind Worldwide stands with Afghan women’s movements. We speak out to break the silence, honour Afghan women’s strength and call out those who are allowing this injustice to continue.”

The Reality on the Ground: A Life Denied

Since August 2021, the Taliban has engaged in structural forms of violence by instituting over 90 decrees targeting women and girls. These include banning education beyond grade six, restricting employment and banning travel without male guardians. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs- once a monumental advocate of women’s rights was dismantled  and replaced by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue which polices women’s clothing, voices and presence.

”Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where girls are banned from high school and university. Women journalists are no longer allowed to report. Women judges, politicians, and human rights defenders have been forced into hiding or exile. And those who dare to protest face arrest, torture, disappearance, and public shaming.”

Shrinking Civic Space

Women-led organisations in Afghanistan are working under intense pressure  despite growing restrictions and surveillance but also compounded with limited funding and shrinking space for activism threatening their networks and ability to operate. International actors have also left women-led groups in Afghanistan behind, with promises of long-term support still not delivered.

Afghan women are not only silenced by the Taliban but  are often overlooked by the international community choosing politics over support. Donor promises haven’t translated into flexible funding affecting the collective voice of women activists.

”Women are invited to international forums last-minute preventing their full preparation and consultation. Visa apartheid has also been weaponised to block their participation in decision-making. They are spoken for rather than heard. And the Taliban has boldly dismissed them as unrepresentative in key UN forums  undermining decades of feminist work and their legitimacy.  Beyond the Taliban; some international groups have made it harder by creating divisions between women in Afghanistan and those living abroad.”

Humanitarian collapse

Worse still, the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan continues to deepen and is widespread. Millions face acute hunger, water is inadequate, shelters are overcrowded and jobs are scarce- more so for women. Across the world, the gradual acceptance of Taliban rule has led to a deeply troubling trend i.e. the growing risk of deportation for Afghans who were evacuated under emergency criteria in 2021. Afghan refugees are being forcibly deported from Pakistan and Iran.  Many of these individuals, including women human rights defenders, journalists, and civil society members, now live in legal limbo or fear of being sent back, a clear betrayal of the promises made to protect them.

The Normalisation of Gender Apartheid 

What is perhaps most alarming is the emerging normalization of the Taliban regime.

We’ve witnessed how various states and political authorities engage them without a demand for women’s rights and sending a message women’s rights are negotiable. Every time an international body publishes a statement without naming gender apartheid for what it is, it reinforces the Taliban’s impunity. Every time funding is withheld from grassroots women-led organisations due to “security risks,” it is not safety being prioritised, it is the silencing of feminist resistance.

Our Demands: Feminist Solidarity Must Be Action-Oriented

• Name It: Recognise the situation in Afghanistan  as gender apartheid under international law.
• Fund the Frontlines: Channel direct, flexible, and sustained funding  to Afghan women-led organisations.
• Reject Normalisation: States must not legitimise the Taliban through diplomatic engagement that ignores their human rights violations. Engagement must be conditional on verifiable progress on women’s rights.
• Protect Women Human Rights Defenders: Establish emergency pathways for relocation and protection of women at risk. Support digital and physical security measures for those still working in-country.
• Stop Forced Deportations:  Halt forced deportations of  Afghan refugees to countries where they face systematic persecution.
• Include Women Meaningfully: Ensure Afghan women, both inside and outside the country, are involved from the start in international conferences, peace negotiations, and policy discussions.
• Strengthen Coordination: Support Afghan women’s networks and movements with resources, safe spaces, and coordination platforms. Resist narratives that create divisions between women living abroad and those inside the country.

”To Our Sisters in Struggle: You Are Not Forgotten

To the women still protesting on the streets of Kabul, Herat, Mazar, and beyond; to the girls studying in secret schools; to the lawyers offering free legal help and the journalists risking their lives to get the truth out. You are the beating heart of a nation that refuses to surrender.”

We see you. We honour you. We fight beside you.

Four years on, we do not mark the fall. We mark the fight.

”We demand a world where Afghan women are not a footnote in peace talks, not a bargaining chip in diplomacy, and never sidelined in funding decisions. They are central to the future of Afghanistan.”

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Women’s economic rights are under siege. We’re seeing devastating cuts to aid, a growing backlash to gender equality, and the continuing rise of neoliberal systems that prioritise profit over all else. We’ve never needed the collective power and resistance of feminist movements more. 

The challenges faced are interlinked, and actions at the top have a knock-on effect. For example, when the World Bank encourages states to privatise public services to raise funds to pay back their debts, these services become profit- rather than people-driven. Then, as we highlight in our Beijing +30 report, because women shoulder a much larger care burden, the lack of quality services can force them to take work flexible enough to fit around their care needs—but without proper workplace protections. This leaves them vulnerable to abuse and harassment. 

Those invested in keeping the status quo—like international finance institutions and multinational corporations—are powerful, and fighting back can feel fruitless and fatiguing. But theirs is not the only way. At a time when gender-inclusive economies are more important than ever, feminist economics reimagines systems and societies in ways that promote equality between women, men, and people of all genders.  

”Mainstream economic perspectives generally focus on market value, recognising only work that is done for money. They also tend to be based around the realities of men’s lives and criticised as ‘gender blind’. In contrast, feminist economics sees gender relations as vital to how economies work, for example, calling for women’s unpaid care burden to be recognised and valued.”

Solidarity at IAFFE 

Last month, Womankind attended the International Association of Feminist Economics (IAFFE) annual conference. Our aims were to boost our knowledge of the latest developments in women’s economic rights and feed our partners’ priorities into collective strategies for combatting injustice. Progressive, anti-racist and—as the name suggests—feminist, IAFFE (which took place in Amherst, Massachusetts and online) is an important space. A mix of academics and activists delved into the key issues of the day, including valuing care, promoting tax justice, and reform of the international finance system. United by the conference theme of solidarity, there was also room for uncomfortable but needed conversations—like how allies to groups facing inequality can speak up and show up without centring ourselves. 

Care—it’s not all about the money 

Those advocating for women’s economic rights often argue about the financial value of care work—and with good reason. Economies are built on women’s unpaid labour and the World Economic Forum estimates that—if it was compensated—it would amount to 9 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Annually, that’s around 11 trillion dollars! But care is so much more—a human right that everyone deserves which adds hugely to our wellbeing. We all may need care at some point—whether because of age, disability, or illness. As panellists highlighted throughout the conference, we need care systems that consider individuals’ varied and intersecting needs, and which allow those doing the care to have full lives and sufficient rest outside it.  

Collective solutions for interconnected problems 

”Economic injustice does not exist in a vacuum. And so, we need a feminist, collective response which recognises its inextricable ties to other threats to gender equality, like gender-based violence and climate crisis. Crucially, this response must share lessons across movements and centre the voices of those most affected in solutions. Consequently, Womankind had much to contribute at IAFFE, including our partner-informed calls, and details of partners’ cross-movement collaborations. For example, Mitini Nepal contributed LBTQIA+ women’s experiences to the corporate justice movement at the AWID forum.”

For those of us based in the  Global North, solidarity could mean using our platform and positionality to call for change from our governments. For example, IAFFE participants working on the care agenda criticised the resistance from Global North nations to systems centring care at the recent International Financing for Development conference. At Womankind, we’ll continue to speak up and speak out against decisions—like the UK aid cut—which jeapordise gender equality, and call for advances in how the UK and others promote women’s economic rights globally, including supporting:   

• Debt relief and cancellation—to redress enduring inequalities rooted in colonialism. 

• Reform of the International Finance Institutions—until the debt is cancelled, we call for reformed loan conditionalities which don’t encourage states to rely on privatisation. 

• Progressive taxation to fund publicly owned and run services. 

• The recognition, reward and redistribution of care work.  

• States’ ratification and implementation of International Labor Organization Convention 190—to stop abuse and harassment at work. 

• A UN Binding Treaty to stop corporations harming people and the planet. 

Underpinning all of this, we continue to champion the strengthening of feminist movements across the Global South, including through flexible funding and authentic sharing of power. We must stand together to challenge unjust systems so that women and people of all genders can claim their economic rights. 

Alexandra Webber is Policy and Advocacy Manager, Women’s Economic Rights and UK Advocacy at Womankind Worldwide. She recently attended the IAFFE conference sharing views and perspectives on just economic systems that value women’s rights. 

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“Disability is not a weakness. It is our strength”

Disabled people make up around 15 per cent of the world’s population. Around 1 in 5 women are Disabled, and they are present in every sphere of society. Yet Disabled women face intersecting forms of discrimination and societal barriers that affect their lives, opportunities and activism. 

Despite these challenges, only a tiny portion of development funding is channelled to organisations and movements working on Disability rights, and even less reaches Disabled women’s organisations. 

Even with limited funding and recognition, across Womankind’s focus countries, Disabled women are leading the way and demanding change – for themselves, in their communities, and throughout society. They are working to ensure that Disabled women are included, recognised and celebrated. 

This past Disability Pride month, we spotlighted some of their important work, achievements and hopes for the future – one in which Disabled women, girls and people of all genders can live with joy, choice and dignity.

Sierra Schraff Thomas is the interim Director of Programmes and Learning at Womankind Worldwide overseeing grant-making and partnerships.  

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“We believe that disability is not something to hide or feel bad about. In fact, we are proud of who we are” says Mahpekay Sidiqi, Director of Kabul Orthopedic Organisation (KOO). “We show that people with disabilities can do great work when given the chance.” 

At the age of six, Mahpekai lost both of her legs in a landmine explosion. Her family, displaced by conflict, was living in a refugee camp in Kabul. For a child, the trauma was overwhelming. She believed her future had ended before it had even begun. Hopeless and withdrawn, she even refused an offer of prosthetic limbs.

But KOO didn’t give up on her.

They didn’t just provide prosthetics—they gave her a path forward. Through their support, Mahpekai resumed her education, completing a diploma in prosthetics and orthotics from the Ministry of Public Health. She later earned a bachelor’s degree from Mahidol University in Thailand—becoming one of the few Afghan women with a disability to achieve such international academic credentials in this field.

Her professional journey started modestly—as a gate guard at KOO. But her dedication and intelligence quickly propelled her forward. She became a trainee technician, assistant, then supervisor, project manager, and eventually served as Deputy Director. Today, Mahpekai is the Director of KOO, leading programmes that integrate physical rehabilitation, vocational training, and psychosocial support, with a focus on empowering women with disabilities, internally displaced women, and survivors of violence. 

Since the Taliban re-took control of the country in 2001, the situation for Afghan women has become increasingly dire. They are largely excluded from public and political life. In this context of gender apartheid, Disabled women face additional stigma and discrimination, and are even less likely to be able to access basic services like education, health care and employment.  

“Sometimes I ask myself what keeps us going despite all the difficulties. And the only answer that comes to my mind is this: we believe that change is possible. That hope gives us the energy to continue. Even if things are hard, we know our efforts can help make life better for someone”, says Mahpekai.  

KOO provides a safe and supportive environment for Disabled women. Through vocational training, they equip women with valuable skills which can help them achieve economic independence and improve their livelihoods. According to Mahpekai, one of KOO’s biggest achievements is providing job opportunities to people with disabilities, especially women. “Our team is made up of strong and capable Disabled people — our Deputy Director, Programme Manager, and many of our staff are disabled themselves. They are not just working, they are leading”, she says. 

 In addition to vocational training, KOO provides psychological and emotional support for programme participants. Through regular group gatherings, women can connect, share their experiences, and receive psychosocial guidance. These sessions are designed to enhance self-confidence, foster a sense of empowerment, and provide much-needed psychological relief. They also offer physical therapy services to support both the vocational trainees and other women and girls with disabilities in the community, addressing their physical well-being alongside their mental health. 

“We want everyone to feel proud of their identity and their abilities,” says Mahpekai. “At KOO, we don’t just talk about inclusion, we live it. We are proud to say that disability is not a weakness. It is our strength.” 

The post Disability is our super power appeared first on Womankind Worldwide.

Meena Paudel co-founded the National Disabled Women Association (NDWA) along with seven other Disabled women in 1998. The women were tired of the discrimination and stigma they faced, at home, within their families and in their communities. They formed NDWA to create a safe space where Disabled women could share their experiences and the challenges they were facing, and join together to advocate for their rights. 

NDWA works with Disabled women across Nepal to raise awareness and ensure they can access their rights. This includes rights education, leadership development, and advocacy with local and national authorities to ensure survivors of gender-based violence can access the justice system. 

“There were women who were scared to even talk about their problems but now their belief is that if they tell me, their heart will not only be lighter but also it will remain confidential” says Pampha Purkoti, who runs NDWA’s chapter in the Kavre district. 

Lalita Mainali is one of the Women NDWA works with. “When you are able versus disabled, the difference is like earth and sky”, she says. “I found it so hard to accept myself after I had my spinal injury.” She initially felt uncertain about the future, but with the love and encouragement of her family and support from NDWA her confidence grew. Now she is filled with self-belief: “Wherever I go, I feel I am capable of supporting myself and I now have that courage. I want to thank NDWA for this.” 

By building trust through local chapters embedded within communities, NDWA is better able to support Disabled women to build confidence, understand their rights and ensure they can seek justice. They also provide psychosocial support to women and their families. “I have succeeded in gaining everyone’s trust, they can freely tell me things that happen in confidence and I do their counselling also. The difference in how they are now and how they were in the beginning makes me happy” says Pampha. 

NDWA also links Disabled women with feminist movements and raises awareness within the movement of the challenges faced by Disabled women and the need for inclusion. “Feminism must include everyone – LBTQI+ women, women with disabilities, youth – we should all be equally free from violence and have equal access to our rights”, says Meena. 

Meena envisions an inclusive society where Disabled women and girls enjoy their rights and can access equal opportunities without discrimination or violence. Little by little, NDWA is making that vision a reality. 

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Jane Kihungi wakes up every day motivated to shape the future of Kenya and empower other Disabled women to have their say. “I want my voice in development” she says. “I want a voice in [the issues] that affect me”. 

 Jane is the Director of Women Challenged to Challenge (WCC) a Kenyan organisation with the mission to empower women with disabilities. WCC brings together over 1,300 members from across the country to advocate for the rights of women with disabilities in all their diversity. They also provide training to build the self-esteem and confidence of Disabled women to speak for themselves and demand their rights, at home, in their communities and in society. 

Recent years have seen an increase in the number of women holding elected office in Kenya, but Jane wants to see more Disabled women in leadership positions. To date, WCC have supported at least 50 women to contest elections or put themselves forward for nomination at different levels of government.  “We want to see women with disabilities in all spheres of leadership – political, organisational, in the women’s rights movement” says Jane.  

This includes pushing for recognition of the intersectional barriers faced by Disabled women in accessing spaces within the feminist movement. For example, WCC recently contributed to the shadow report Not Yet Equal: Kenyan women with disabilities and the ongoing struggle for inclusion 30 years after Beijing, which highlights the ongoing challenges and barriers faced by Disabled women in Kenya. It calls for a national strategy to address intersectional discrimination against women and girls with disabilities, among other recommendations.  

 WCC has already been instrumental in the inclusion of Disabled women in political and decision-making spaces, but according to Jane, they are just getting started. She wants to grow the organisation and expand their work to all 47 counties in Kenya. “We want to have an academy to train women with disabilities and mentor young girls into leadership roles”, Jane says. 

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”Across regions around the world, the use of violence against women and girls in all their diversities, is increasing. It has been used as a tool to silence their voices and stifle their agency, particularly during times of political instability, economic crisis, conflict, displacement and rising authoritarianism. And, in response to feminist organising and resistance.”

The Global Struggle for Gendered Justice and Safety 

In Womankind’s partner countries (Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Uganda and Zimbabwe), feminist movements are resisting violence that is both state-sanctioned and socially normalised, even as the risks grow. In Kenya for instance, the recent ‘Gen-Z’ protests have been met with escalating police violence, with women protesters facing increased assaults and harassment. These brutal acts not only violate their right to protest but also serve to suppress collective action for justice, silencing the very voices demanding change. According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), reports from the June 2025 protests indicate eight fatalities, and over four hundred casualties, underscoring the deadly toll of state-sanctioned violence on peaceful demonstrations.  

Similarly, in Zimbabwe, feminist movements are also confronting violence and repression from both state forces and societal structures, with crackdowns on women-led civic groups, widespread arrests, and increased surveillance. These actions are part of a broader strategy to suppress women’s voices and movements advocating for gender justice and equality. Womankind partner, Women and Land in Zimbabwe further highlights that these repressive tactics are particularly threatened by patriarchal, gender-blind institutions and policies, compounded by politically controlled spaces that restrict freedom of expression and hinder activism against corruption.  

The Global Pattern of Silencing 

In Nepal and Uganda, feminist activists and women journalists face increasing cyber harassment, digital repression, and surveillance, particularly under restrictive laws. In both countries, online spaces have become battlegrounds where women’s voices are silenced, with state authorities using technology to monitor, intimidate, and threaten those advocating for gender equality and justice. These digital tactics not only curb free expression but also contribute to a wider environment of fear and self-censorship, severely hindering the ability of women to mobilize and speak out.  

Womankind’s policy brief, Disrupting the Continuum of Violence: Combatting Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence, emphasizes that Technology-Facilitated Gender Based Violence (TFGBV) is not only used to attack the character and legitimacy of women. It also perpetuates harmful gendered stereotypes and undermines their participation in public and political life. Further, it highlights how the digital sphere often acts as a precursor, escalating violent behaviours that can lead to fatal outcomes for women. As a result, some women have resorted to avoiding digital platforms entirely for their safety, while others have been forced to abandon their activism and careers due to the relentless abuse they face online.  

Additionally, in Afghanistan and Ethiopia, gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict settings continues to escalate, with women human rights defenders being specifically targeted for their activism. These systemic acts of violence not only violate fundamental human rights but also aim to silence women’s voices and prevent their active participation in shaping the future of their societies. Maryam Rahmani, Womankind Worldwide Advisor, Afghanistan, affirms that “Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghan women have faced increasing violence and harsh restrictions, with little or no access to justice or protection. Women human rights defenders are being targeted and silenced simply for raising their voices and demanding the most basic of rights.’’  

These recurring scenarios reflect a global trend in the increasing use of violence, both physical and digital, used to silence women and girls who challenge power and demand justice. 

A Feminist Collective Resistance and Action 

Through a feminist lens, the continued forms of violence against women and girls whether physical, digital, or systemic, are not isolated incidents but part of a continuum that stretches across both private and public spaces. They reflect deeper structural inequalities shaped by patriarchal systems, that are sustained through silencing the voices and agency of women and girls in all their diversities across the world. In light of this, Womankind, together with partners in its focus countries, continues to centre feminist and decolonial principles, supporting women’s rights organisations to challenge unequal power structures, and advocating for long-term, transformative change. We continue to strengthen and facilitate the feminist collective action and cross movement solidarity, in line with Womankind’s 2030 strategy while amplifying their representation, visibility and leadership power. In doing so, we call on all actors committed to gender justice to prioritise feminist, locally led approaches that are grounded in the lived realities and centre the leadership of women and girls. 

”The patterns of violence we see today, from Nairobi to Kabul are not new. Yet women and girls around the world continue to resist, organise, and reimagine a more just future. As Womankind, we recognise that dismantling systemic violence requires collective action, bold leadership, and unwavering solidarity. This is working towards a world where all women and girls in all their diversities can live free from all forms of violence.” 

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