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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“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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Sarah Masters is leaving Womankind Worldwide after almost 10 years serving as Director Programmes and Learning and as an interim Co-CEO. Throughout, Sarah has been part of the Senior Management Team (SMT). She has led the strategic development, implementation, quality assurance and technical learning for Womankind’s portfolio of partnership programmes including grant making in our focus countries. 

SA: As former Interim Co-CEO and Director of Programmes and Learning, could you walk me through your time at Womankind? 

SM: I joined Womankind in July 2015 just as we were developing a new strategy (2016-21) that focused on feminist partnerships and movement strengthening. Both remain at the core of our current approach. There has been significant change in this time for both Womankind and our partners along with the global context and increased challenges around funding for women’s rights. We have and continue to navigate these together with our partners with feminist principles at the core of our approach and practice.  

 It was an honour to be appointed by the board to act as an interim Co-CEO for the organisation during the leadership transition. Having served as an Executive Director and Co-Director in previous roles before joining Womankind, this was a great opportunity to put my experience into practice. I remain grateful to colleagues and trustees for their trust and engagement throughout the period which supported and enabled the appointment of Disha and Diana as Co-CEOs to take the organisation forward. 

SA: What has been your legacy and some of the milestones you’re leaving behind? 

SM: Diversity in our feminist partnerships. This includes with organisations that are the most marginalised. It meant exploring new themes to the organisation and adopting an intersectional approach which remains. I am especially proud of the wide range of initiatives and support that we have offered including pilot projects to experiment and trial new approaches. These range from small catalytic projects through to large scale, multi-year, multi-country programmes such as AWESOME. There is also grant making including pilot initiatives on movement strengthening to evidence our approach.  

 I am grateful to SMT colleagues and trustees for walking with me as we took calculated risks in some new areas. For example, I led our bold act in 2020 to make core resilience grants to all of our partners during the Covid pandemic. This was possible thanks to a legacy donation from a long-time supporter. We greatly value our community of individual givers who have stayed the course with us as we have adapted and changed through the years. These resilience grants quite literally enabled our partners to survive at a difficult time. This experience led to the increased focus on developing our approach to flexible and core funding as part of the strategy to 2030. 

SA: Can you share a defining moment or challenge that shaped your feminist experience during your time? 

SM: Most recently, supporting Afghan women just before and during the coup in August 2021 is a reminder it is possible to take action and have a positive impact in the face of impossibility. It took constant input, feminist solidarity, collaboration, cooperation, and a range of actors from civil society to the civil service and the military to play their part. Together, we were able to help some women’s rights activists and their families to escape. It was not a straightforward process, full of hurdles and challenges and unknowns, and very fast paced at times. The situation remains dire for those who remain in Afghanistan. I am heartened that Womankind’s feminist approach ensures that we will continue to work with Afghan women and those in exile as a key women’s human rights issue. 

SA: Please share your experience on transformative feminist leadership during the previous leadership transition phase at Womankind 

SM:  As I stepped into a Co-CEO role, other colleagues in the organisation stepped into interim Director roles. It was a privilege to work with and mentor them, some of whom have gone onto be permanently appointed through internal recruitment processes. I am especially proud of the Programmes and Learning team which I co-led with Sierra Schraff Thomas during this time.  

Having insight into the role of Co-CEO whilst retaining part of my remit within the  Programmes and Learning team gave me unique insight into the challenges, successes and learning from this period. It has provided important learning for the current Co-CEOs and SMT to take forward. It is a time of rediscovery and renewal for Womankind, an exciting time for the organisation to move towards realising the strategy 2030. 

During the transition, I reflected on Womankind’s commitment to decolonising within the organisation as part of the strategy 2030. Given the importance placed on leadership having lived experience from one of our focus countries or regions, I decided to step aside as a white British woman. This felt timely as it aligned with transformation toward diverse leadership perspectives. There will be significant change in the coming years. It will require feminist and pragmatic leadership as we progress towards 2030. 

SA: What message/ advice are you leaving behind?  

SM: That there is learning from the past that will stand us all in good stead when navigating current challenges. Look back to look to the future in terms of strategies to overcome the current rollback on women’s rights. Women and male allies have successfully brought about change in the past. Some of those tactics and strategies remain fundamental to collective organising and movement building. They can apply to the digital world and ways of working. We sometimes forget this.  

We must remember that we stand on the shoulders of all of those amazing feminists and allies whether they used the term or not. We must continue to adapt and learn from their experience as we experience and learn from our own realities. My message is to never give up and find strength in solidarity and activism with others. Be kind to one another amidst your struggles. Know that pragmatism is sometimes necessary. And know and claim your rights. 

Sarah has over 30 years of varied experience spanning communications, human rights, social justice, and women, peace and security including arms control. She has held management and senior roles in organisations including Amnesty International, the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) and the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).  

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‘’People have their own solutions more often than we want to accept’’.

During recent visits to our partner organisations in Uganda and Kenya, the continuous standing agenda was the need for flexible funding. The rigid funding structures often fail to address rapidly changing needs and contexts. Most countries in the majority world are facing different changing needs such as: 

• Structural changes through policies and laws that are regressing gender equality. 

• Slowing down in transformational and relational change within communities due to heightened patriarchy norms and values being reenergized socially. 

• Increase in poverty levels and reduced access to basic needs which affects the whole communities and even more deeply women and girls. 

Topped off with the rise of far-right movements globally, this adds another layer of urgency to this conversation. The shifts present new challenges to civil society organizations and movements that risk heightening the vulnerability and stripping of dignity of rightsholders 

Our partners consistently emphasized how predetermined restrictions can limit their ability to respond to emerging challenges effectively. With a continuous conversation centred around localisation agenda, sharing and shifting of power, here are some considerations: 

• Local organisations require substantial autonomy and discretionary power to redirect and reallocate resources based on evolving local needs, community priorities, and ground realities. 

• Swift, adaptive responses and innovative problem-solving approaches become particularly essential during periods of political transition, social upheaval, or community and structural transformation. 

• Traditional grant structures and conventional funding frameworks often prove inadequate in addressing unexpected challenges or capitalizing on emerging opportunities in our rapidly evolving global landscape. 

• Organisations must maintain sufficient operational flexibility to effectively protect and continue serving populations, especially when political and social circumstances begin to deteriorate unexpectedly. 

• Unforeseen security concerns and emerging threats may necessitate immediate and strategic reallocation of resources to ensure both program continuity and staff safety. 

As responsible donors and funding organisations committed to maximizing impact, we should carefully consider implementing these essential recommendations. First, substantially increasing unrestricted funding allocations enables greater operational flexibility and responsive programming. 

Secondly, establishing robust and accessible rapid response mechanisms designed specifically is essential for addressing emergencies and supporting necessary programmatic adaptations. 

Thirdly, simplifying grant modification processes through the implementation of trust-based approval systems is an emerging approach in flexible funding.

Lastly, cultivating and maintaining long-term, trust-based relationships with implementing partners with a sustainability lens is the future of transformative grant making. 

”The evidence continuously demonstrates that flexible funding isn’t just beneficial – it’s essential for organizational survival and impact. This is a rallying call to all funder/philanthropists, donors and givers as we all go into a season of reflections, consultations and rethinking our models to test or partner with organizations such as Womankind Worldwide that has been implementing the trust-based model through flexible funds. As we navigate increasingly complex global challenges, our funding approaches must evolve to become more adaptable and responsive to real-world needs.”

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As I attended the forum, I was reflecting on the pace and progress of women’s rights around the world since the last forum in 2016 in Bahia, Brazil. I was only two months into my position as Programme Manager for Movement and Network Strengthening when I attended and with lots to learn from feminist activists’ lived experiences and  my  position of privilege as a white woman from the global minority and; the role I could play in service of feminist movements.   

Looking back from Bahia to Bangkok 

Inequality faced by women, girls and people of other genders was of course at the heart of the forum in 2016, but over the last 8 years, the backlash against fundamental hard-won rights has been increasing rapidly.  Patriarchy is firmly embedded in ideologies of far-right and fascist groups, authoritarian governments, anti-gender movements and conservative forces which have been gaining ground across the world eroding democratic values and human rights at an alarming rate.  

Since 2016 there have been escalating levels of gendered violence and regressive legal, social and political reforms such as the loss of the constitutional right to abortion in the USA. And the ban on sexual expression and gender identity in Uganda. For women in Afghanistan, almost every right has been stripped from them by the Taliban who came back into power in 2021, and they are disappearing completely from civic life.  

During the forum, our hosts drew our attention to the countries in conflict today where these oppressions are further compounded. I attended a side event on Palestine where we learnt about the intersection between patriarchy and colonial occupation. Palestinian women face strict social norms in their own society and very limited legal protections against violence coupled with sexual violence and degrading treatment by the occupying settlers.  

We also heard from Sudanese activists who spoke about the lack of global attention given to the conflict in Sudan and the high rates of rape as a weapon of war. Women have reported contemplating suicide due to the ever-present threat of rape. Womankind partner the Strategic Initiative for the Horn of Africa (SIHA) works directly with Sudanese activists.  

Healing and re-grouping  

But while these bleak realities painted a grim focus in 2024, we were reminded of healing as a radical personal and collective response to the levels of trauma (direct or vicarious) and burnout being experienced by activists. 

With over 3000 feminist activists and groups in attendance from all corners of the globe, there is no such thing as a feminist healing toolkit or blueprint.  To further enable activists to explore healing, AWID created an environment of care for everyone attending. 

A range of experiential sessions including morning integration to ground bodies and minds and qiqong were offered (a system of coordinated body-posture and movement, breathing, and meditation). Given the size and intensity of the event, AWID also created a low sensory zone offering a calm, noise free environment with soft furniture to relax in. I personally meditated most mornings as caring for ourselves and others is ultimately about honouring our intrinsic value as women, girls and people of other genders which is so often erased by patriarchy. 

This space also offered free counselling to anyone who may have been triggered by any of the sessions on offer. We also had a gala dinner in the middle of the forum where you could dance till late; because what is the point of the revolution if you can’t dance? 

Conversations also centred on the importance of funding care and healing in philanthropy as a critical part of feminist movement building.  I attended an event co-convened by 6 Women’s Funds: the Mongolian Women’s Fund, FRIDA, TEWA , Women’s Fund Fiji and the Doria Feminist Fund. The funds had conducted collective research to strengthen the role that they play in advocating for and resourcing collective care in the feminist movement ecosystem. The collective of feminist funds developed an advocacy strategy as a tool for strengthening collective care systems within women’s funds, defining accountability mechanisms, and highlighting pathways for advocating for increased resources for collective care for grantee partners. 

Womankind is a feminist funder in the feminist movement ecosystem and has embedded a focus on care of staff in our strategy and Theory of Change. Over the last 5 years, we have funded initiatives designed by partners on care and healing in their movements like the first ever lesbian feminist forum in Uganda (UGALEF) in 2021 which focused solely on creating a dedicated space for personal and collective care in the LBT movement. 

Funding self and collective care within feminist movements is also often a core part of initiatives we fund with our dedicated movement strengthening funding stream. 

 We have a long way to go to fully ‘walk the talk’ but we continue to find opportunities to improve and our practice in this area, inspired by the those in the global feminist movement who have led the way, many of whom inspired us at the 15th AWID Forum in Bangkok. 

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On 2-5 December 2024, Womankind Worldwide will be joining feminist, women’s rights, gender justice, LBTQI+ and allied movements at the 15th AWID International Forum in Bangkok, Thailand. Held every 3-4 years, the forum is the largest feminist gathering in the world bringing together funders, activists, policy makers and enthusiasts to connect and strategise in response to some of the most pressing gender equality issues of our time. 

This year’s theme: Rising Together is centred on the power of allyship and interconnectedness staying true to feminist organising whilst also remaining grounded on healing, solidarity and thriving. Together with partners from our focus countries: Kenya, Uganda, Nepal, Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, we’re proud to connect with and learn from feminist and women’s rights actors from all over the world especially in movement building. 

Showcasing our commitment to the women’s rights and feminism movements around the world, we will host a virtual side event: Resourcing the Revolution- how flexible funding leads to autonomous voices on 3 December 2024 from 1-3pm targeting donors, policy makers and like-minded organisations. The side event focused on Womankind’s flexible funding will explore the realities around providing core, unrestricted, flexible and long-term funding not only for cross-cutting work but advocacy. This is in response to the realities global south women’s rights organisations and feminist movements face such as lacking adequate, flexible, and timely resources to lead the change they are best suited to drive. 

Further, the side event will highlight findings from a research paper commissioned by Her Voice Fund (HVF) making a case for flexible funding as a key framework towards strengthening autonomous feminist voices and movements. Drawing from the research’s recommendations, participants will contribute to discussions on the current funding ecosystem, patterns and emerging progressive transformational feminist approaches on funding. 

‘’We consider the AWID forum not just as a strategic event but a convening of sisterhood, feminist joy and solidarity; reminding us of the power of coming together against the rollback of women’s rights globally. Together with our partners, we will be championing a feminist future and the  possibility of creating it,’’ Disha Sughand, Co-CEO, Womankind Worldwide.

Resources 

Over the years, Womankind Worldwide has developed knowledge and thought leadership publications for the women’s rights and feminist ecosystem. These cut across various topics ranging from advocacy to campaigning to movement strengthening, decolonisation, anti-racism amongst others. You can find these tools and knowledge on our resources section.

Key takeaways about Womankind Worldwide 

• Fund (Flexible Funding): Womankind aims to fund our partners flexibly- so women’s rights organizations have more say in how they use the money they receive, as they are best placed to understand the issues they are facing. Alongside flexible funding we also fund women-led, practical services provided by women’s rights organisations 

• Strengthen (Movement Strengthening): Womankind provides opportunities for women within movements to connect with each other in safe spaces to build trust and relationships critical to the success of collective action. We ensure movements represent more diverse women, girls and people of all genders including disabled women, LBTIQ+ people, indigenous women and women in the criminal justice system 

• Advocate (Advocacy): With partners, Womankind spotlights trends for women’s rights organisations, feminist movements, decision-makers and governments to change laws and policies that affect women. With partners, women’s rights organisations and feminist movements we also run campaigns and events to highlight causes, impacts and possible solutions to these trends. Examples of our campaigns: Everyday Feminism, #MyPeriodt! ILO 190- #SafeAtWork, #SafeInSociety campaign and 16 days of activism in ending tech-based GBV. 

Womankind Worldwide is an international women’s rights organisation and funder, working with women’s rights and feminist movements across the world to end gender inequality. We believe in a world where women, girls and people of all genders- in their diversities- live without fear of violence. Where they are respected and valued for who they are. Where they live as they choose, thrive and have equal economic rights. Where they have a say in their lives, and communities and can participate and lead in all spheres of public and private life. 

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Just weeks after a right-wing government which challenges women’s bodily autonomy and rights has been elected in the US and months after the Taliban’s Vice and Virtue law which even further strips Afghan women of their basic human rights and dignity was introduced. This regression is not isolated; it’s a trend echoing across continents, affecting women and girls in myriad ways. The need for a reimagined funding approach has never been more critical. 

The global landscape for women’s rights is fraught with complexities. It’s easy to feel disheartened when we’re seeing hard won gains on women’s rights eroded daily and a shifting funding landscape that means less money for women’s rights. But let’s remember that feminist movements and women’s rights organisations are at the forefront of driving change and striving for rights, dignity and joy for women in all their diversities. It’s the collective action that these activists, groups and movements take that ultimately changes laws and behaviours and leads to gender equality.  

We know that the most impactful thing we can do right now to work towards gender equality is to resource, fund and nourish these feminist movements and women’s rights organisations and to work together as allies.  

”We’re really proud at Womankind to be prioritising our flexible funds in response to these challenges and seeing how we can make these funds work better for the women’s rights organisations, the feminist movements and the activists we work with.” 

Our vision is rooted in a decolonised, feminist approach that prioritises flexibility, trust, and the amplification and partnership of movements and local based organisation voices. We believe that by reimagining our funding strategies, we can better equip rights-holders to navigate and challenge these turbulent times. But because  minimal funding currently reaches women’s rights organisations we know one of the most important things we can do is share our learning and evidence and make the case for even more civil society organisations, funders and governments to prioritise more flexible funding for women’s rights organisations.   

The theme for this year’s AWID forum is Rising Together – an opportunity to learn from each other and work with funders, policy-makers and allies to share power, resource feminist movements flexibly and drive transformational change. It is also an invitation to connect with each other so that we can feel the heartbeat of global feminist movements and rise together to meet the challenges of these times. We’re excited to meet you there and to see what learning we can share and what ideas we can generate when we are open and listen to each other and work collectively.  

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The introduction of the new Taliban ‘vice and virtue’ law has a significant impact on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women. This law has effectively stripped Afghan women of their basic human rights and dignity. It has also rolled back much of the progress made in women’s rights over the past two decades, isolating women from public life and worsening gender inequalities in Afghan society. This order, which enforces strict social codes, particularly targeting women and their role in society, threatens not only the rights and freedoms of Afghan citizens but also the stability and security of the broader region and international community. 

“The Taliban’s ‘vice and virtue’ order is a set of strict regulations imposed by the Taliban government, which governs public behaviour, dress, and social interactions, particularly targeting women. These regulations are enforced by the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice, a body tasked with ensuring that Afghan society adheres to the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law.”

The international community has widely condemned these measures, viewing them as a gross violation of human rights. There are ongoing calls for increased pressure on the Taliban to reverse these policies and restore basic freedoms to Afghan women and girls. 

In response, the international community must take urgent and strategic action to support Afghan women and ensure their rights are protected. Here are key recommendations: 

• Utilize international platforms such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to apply coordinated diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to reverse their repressive policies and to amplify the voices of Afghan women. This will ensure that their perspectives and demands are heard in global discussions about Afghanistan’s future; 

How we’re taking action: Womankind’s Advisor on Afghanistan Maryam Rahmani is engaged in regular international advocacy to give voice to the Afghan women’s movement. Maryam attended a side event at the 56th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this year. Womankind also funded ‘Community Conversations’ a project with Women’s Resource Network (WRN) that ensured Afghan women’s voices would be included in international advocacy at spaces such as International Criminal Court for Gender Persecution.  

• Allocate and channel humanitarian aid directly to women and girls through trusted local and international NGOs that focus on gender-sensitive programming; 

How we’re taking action: Womankind is supporting partners in Afghanistan with core and flexible funds to ensure their very survival as they navigate such a challenging time. We have successful funded projects in Afghanistan such as the Vocational Training and Literacy for Women in Kabul Province.   

• Provide direct financial and technical support to Afghan women’s rights organizations that continue to operate under extremely challenging conditions; 

How we’re taking action: Womankind is remaining in constant touch with partners in Afghanistan and supporting and advising them in whichever way possible.  

• Engage respected Islamic scholars and leaders to publicly challenge the Taliban’s interpretation of Islamic law, promoting alternative, more inclusive interpretations that support women’s rights; 

Read more: ‘Islam Does Not Ban Girls’ Education. So Why Does The Taliban?’ (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)

For Dari speakers [one of the official languages of Afghanistan], Islamic scholars are responding to almost every decree of Taliban on the Orwat_al_Wusqaa Facebook page.

• Support initiatives that highlight the compatibility of Islam with gender equality, countering the Taliban’s narrative and empowering Afghan women through their faith; 

Organisations to follow: Women Living Under Muslim Laws, Musawah 

• Launch global campaigns to raise awareness of the plight of Afghan women, mobilizing public opinion and increasing pressure on governments to take action; 

How we’re taking action: Womankind will be launching a petition campaign later in the year where you can add your name and share widely in order to draw attention to the injustice faced by women and girls in Afghanistan right now.

• Provide support to independent Afghan media outlets that continue to report on women’s issues, ensuring that the world remains informed about the situation on the ground. 

Independent Afghan media outlets to follow: Rukhshana Media, TKG.af 

We stand in solidarity with Afghan women and girls who are bravely resisting these unjust measures. The international community must take immediate and decisive action to support Afghan women, ensure their safety, and advocate for the restoration of their rights. The voices and contributions of Afghan women are essential to the future of their country, and their rights must be protected at all costs. 

Maryam Rahmani is the Afghanistan Advisor at Womankind Worldwide. As an Afghan women’s rights activist, she’s been keen on championing women’s rights in Afghanistan post the Taliban takeover. Working alongside other activists, she’s leading the implementation of Womankind Worldwide’s Afghanistan Strategy, that is focused on advocacy, providing flexible funding and sustaining the presence of women’s rights organisations in the country. Read more about the strategy here  

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As Womankind Worldwide, we stand in solidarity with the families of the three girls who lost their lives in Southport and unequivocally condemn this violence that has robbed these families.  

We are shocked by the subsequent events that have seen extreme far- right and racist supporters level attacks on immigrant communities, Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC). From vandalising buildings to hotels housing immigrants to physical attacks on individuals and slurs on these communities the attacks have also been coordinated and heightened online through misinformation, hate speech and inflammatory content. Such deplorable actions violate basic human rights and undermine the principles of diversity and inclusion our society upholds. 

These attacks have unveiled the systemic injustices that have long existed in the UK with far-right extremism and white supremacists being historically protected by the political class and a narrative controlled by the press. A week into the riots, the government and media have repeatedly called these events  ‘violent protests’. They have refused to admit these are racist and fascist attacks against immigrant communities, those born in the UK alongside expats due to their race, faith, religion and colour. 

Big Tech platforms have equally failed in their responsibility towards robust community guidelines, standards and fast-tracking emergency Integrity Product and Operations Centers (IPOCs) that will protect the integrity of the platforms and users. They’ve allowed misogyny, racist slurs and violence incitement to dominate through various hashtags where we’ve seen far-right extremists continue to weaponize hate. Regulators such as Ofcom must now draw the line and fulfil obligations towards online safety and protection. 

We call on Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour government to remember that the UK has a duty of care towards all communities- more so their election manifesto that called for a national renewal. The government must show leadership by taking a zero-tolerance stand on far-right extremism and terrorism attacks. They must shift the persistent extremism narrative that has existed in the nation and address the core root of racism that has repeatedly seen attacks on people based on the colour of their skin, religion or perceived country of origin or immigration status.  

We also stand in solidarity with BIPOC asylum seeking and refugee women and girls who also find themselves at the centre of these events. These are communities still reeling from the trauma of war, violence and economic oppression while seeking a safe haven and humanitarian assistance in the UK. In the current situation, their experience is being overlooked yet they face the harshest impact of systemic inequalities and discrimination. 

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Despite the vital role they play, feminist movements are massively underfunded, receiving less than 1 per cent of Official Development Assistance globally. Organisations and networks that work to sustain feminist movements often operate on shoestring budgets, relying on small, short term, and highly restricted grants. This kind of highly restricted funding is time consuming to manage, and limits innovation and flexibility by tying organisations to rigid project frameworks and timelines. 

Feminist movements have long called on donors to provide more long-term flexible funding, which is essential to their survival and effectiveness:  

“Flexible funding allows us to respond quickly and effectively to emerging needs and changing circumstances. This adaptability is crucial in contexts where issues and priorities can shift rapidly”, according to Dibabe Bacha, General Manager of Womankind partner the Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA).

“It helps us have the freedom to use funding in creative ways, to test new ideas, approaches, and strategies. This can lead to innovative solutions to longstanding challenges”. Pooja Pant, Executive Director of Voices of Women in Media, agrees: “Flexible funding allows organizations to think beyond projects and focus on the wellbeing and health of the entire organizational structure. It allows us to be more creative and free in our work and imagine the world we would like to create without being bogged down by bureaucracy”, she said.  

As part of Womankind’s commitment to making long-term, flexible funding available to our partners, in April we launched Strategic Partner Support Grants. Through this two-year, £1 million pilot, Womankind will provide core funding to 24 partners, with a focus on historically excluded and marginalised feminist organisations in our focus countries.  

While Womankind has for several years provided flexible funding for advocacy and movement strengthening through the Her Voice Fund and Movement Strengthening Fund, Strategic Partner Support Grants are intended to fund partners more holistically. These grants will support the realisation of partner’s overall strategies and visions, and enable them to work flexibly according to the needs of their local contexts and the individuals and communities they serve.  

According to Sankalpa president, Sangeeta Lama, these grants will allow partners to “respond dynamically to the evolving needs of diverse women and communities and foster unity among diverse groups of women, empowering them and providing a safe space for working together on advocacy and action.’’ 

Furthermore, Strategic Partner Support Grants will help partners resource essential aspects of their work that are often harder to fund, like ensuring staff have access to health insurance, salaries and wellbeing support. “Organizations are only as strong as the people within them”, said Hala Alkarib, Regional Director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA). “The Strategic Partner Support Grant from Womankind will allow us to invest in the capacity and well-being of our staff”.  

Feminist movements and organisations are experts in their contexts and the issues they work on. They are tackling some of the most complex and entrenched issues preventing the realisation of gender equality. This work requires proper resourcing, trust in local initiatives, and active solidarity with their demands for change. “While existence matters, the life of the people in the frontline and self-care matters. It is also the knowledge that you are trusted to transform the community you serve and this makes the difference in the perception of self” said Anne Agar, Managing Director of Polycom Development Project.  

“As an organization with limited resources, flexible funding from Womankind has created a sense of financial security and stability in our work”, said Christine Bwailisa, Executive Director of the National Association for Women’s Action in Development (NAWAD). “Other donors should embrace [similar initiatives] given the shrinking civic space in the current context”. Womankind joins this call to action, encouraging other donors to support or develop flexible funding initiatives.   

Flexible funding for feminist movements should be the norm, not the exception. While our Strategic Partner Support Grants pilot will initially run for two years, our long-term aim is to make as much of our funding as possible flexible, so that our partners can focus their time and efforts on the important work of realising gender equality. This ambition will only be realised with flexible, long-term support from other donors.  

We invite our donors and supporters to join us on this journey, and to support our partner’s transformative work and sustainability. You can learn more about Strategic Partner Support Grants and how to contribute here: https://staging-womankind-org-uk.eyesdown.digital/strategic-partner-support-grants/ 

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Since this pivotal moment– more than 200 countries across the world once again reaffirmed their commitment through the Paris Agreement  to limit the global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius as a radical approach towards climate action.  

Today, as governments, researchers, scientists, private sector and civil society organisations gather in Dubai for COP 28 with the declaration of ‘climate change cannot wait’- a lot is at stake to fast-track the urgency of concrete actions needed now!  

Against the backdrop of this convening is the supersonic speed and litany of events happening around the world geopolitically. The wars and conflicts in Ukraine, Darfur, Israel and Gaza continue to displace millions from their homes, carbon emissions are rising, floods, drought and earthquakes have ravaged countries rendering many stateless- thus making 2023 a historic melting point of social inequalities exacerbated by the climate crisis. 

Nothing About us Without us 

At the heart of this, the shattered dreams and hopes of many women and girls around the world are an avid reminder that the promises to mitigate climate change can no longer be empty. It’s been widely proven that women and girls – the backbone of prosperous societies– are more vulnerable and are disproportionately affected by the effects of climate change.  

We’ve witnessed how gender inequality has become synonymous with climate change creating a chain reaction of gender-based violence, healthcare crises, increased risk of child marriage, food insecurity, denial of economic advancement opportunities and femicide.  

While there’s a silver lining of Feminist Movements, Organisations, women human rights defenders and activists around the world who have been bold enough not to shy away from disrupting the current climate change talks ecosystem– the realities are grave. Countries like the UK are backing away from their climate change finance (at £ 11.6 Billion) commitments and fossil fuel companies remain solid with their green washing narratives. This drawback of support and many others paints a bleak picture for COP 28 but far much worse for millions of women and girls now under siege due to climate change. 

Women and girls working together in movements remain active agents of change, contributing significantly to climate resilience and adaptation efforts. They have shown remarkable innovation, and leadership in implementing sustainable practices, preserving traditional knowledge, and advocating for climate justice. 

Act Now- COP 28 must not abet gender inequality! 

But what will it take to see real action at COP28 given what is at stake for all especially for women and girls?

First, climate change conversations must be inclusive of gender equality. We celebrate civil society organisations  and Feminist Movements and Organisations that continue to advocate for the meaningful participation of women and girls’ indigenous groups from Brazil to Kenya and ensure their voices are not stifled in the negotiations. Solutions must be locally led and owned, strengthening the agency of these groups in influencing decisions that affect their lives. 

Secondly,  a strong feminist agenda  should be included in the climate action pledges. This is crucial in addressing injustices and social barriers that have prevented communities from taking their rightful seat at climate change convenings such as COP and pushing the biggest emitters of carbon emissions to offer reparations to millions in developing countries that have been affected by the crisis. But also- a feminist perspective confronts capitalism, neoliberalism and fascist principles that continue to back the use of fossil fuels and prioritise profit over people and a sustainable planet.  

Thirdly, new technological advances such as AI are critical in mitigating climate change. We’ve seen how various models are being used to predict weather patterns and also reduce carbon emissions. One iconic example is Google’s  optimisation of AI to minimise the environmental impact of flights- showing the unlimited possibilities of technology. AI can equally be a game changer in powering girls and women to advance scalable climate change solutions around the world. The integration of technology and gender equality can drive economic opportunities, showcase immersive experiences while also positioning women as change agents to radically reduce the rising carbon emissions. At COP28 we hope to witness the incorporation of a gender-responsive approach into AI development, ensuring that it benefits women and girls and promotes their active participation in climate change solutions. 

Lastly, climate financing approaches should be gender smart and feminist grounded. Research from the International Insitute for Environment and Development indicates that only 2.3 per cent of climate financing is deliberate in supporting gender equality. Investments from governments, philanthropy and the private sector through grants- not loans – should holistically mainstream gender frameworks that interrogate experiences of women and girls affected by climate change while also enabling flexible funding to allow women’s rights organisations to have a say in how to use the funding in climate action initiatives. 

A free, fair and sustainable world that is inclusive of the voices of women and girls is possible. COP 28 must not forget this! 

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Since taking power in August 2021, the Taliban have rolled back women’s rights in virtually every area. Girls’ secondary education has been postponed indefinitely, women are barred from attending university and banned from the workplace. Women hold no cabinet positions in the de facto administration and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs has been abolished. Women are being erased from society and deprived of their most basic human rights. The Taliban takeover remains one of the most brutal assaults on freedom we’ve seen in our time. 

Sometimes it seems almost unbelievable that this is the reality for Afghan women. When I read about this, I feel distraught, and I think there is nothing I can do about this injustice – and so I stop reading. But then I speak to my colleague Maryam Rahmani, an Afghan woman leader, living in exile in the UK and I remember that this is not an option. Forgetting about Afghan women or thinking we can’t influence change is exactly what the Taliban want us to do.  

Womankind Worldwide hosted an event last week where Maryam spoke candidly with journalist Ladan Anoushfar of CNN’s As Equals–  a series focused on revealing what systemic gender inequality looks like around the world highlighting issues such as the reality of Afghan women and the women’s movement two years into Taliban rule. She shared what being banned from the workplace means for women’s mental health and their livelihoods and what being barred from secondary school and abject poverty means for rates of child marriage.  

But she also shared how women are continuing to come together, to support each other and to organise – through the limited number of women’s rights organisations that are still functioning in some way in Afghanistan. And if Afghan women can find a way to be resourceful and hopeful in the face of such adversity then the least, we can do is stand in solidarity with them.  

How you stand in solidarity will depend on who you are. For Womankind Worldwide, standing in solidarity means working on a strategy to support the survival of the women’s movement in Afghanistan. It means supporting Maryam and other Afghan women leaders in exile to attend and influence policy spaces so they can challenge the international community not to ignore Afghan women in their dealings with the Taliban. It means being flexible about the type of funding and support we offer Afghan partner women’s rights organisations, understanding that this is an extraordinary situation needing an unusual response.  

• If you are an individual, please keep seeking out stories of Afghan women and think about one or two things you can do in your daily life. Whether it’s signing up to an online campaign to support Afghan women or writing to your member of parliament to improve how your country is treating Afghan refugees or donating to an organisation that works with Afghan women. Please don’t forget about Afghan women despite where the media attention has gone or goes next.  
• If you are a decision maker or working in the private sector, is there a way you can make the engagement of women a condition of humanitarian aid, trade or political negotiations? Women’s human rights have deteriorated over the last two years and at the moment there is no incentive for the Taliban to improve women’s human rights.  
• If you are an INGO that used to work in Afghanistan and has paused your work, can you think creatively about supporting Afghan women during this time by working with partner women’s rights organisations or in the neighbouring countries? What are other organisations doing to stand in solidarity and can you work with them?  
• If you are a funder, can you think about how you could fund and support Afghan women’s rights organisations flexibly with what they need to ensure their survival? They most likely won’t be able to meet your requirements for a project proposal, a theory of change, a logistical framework or your reporting guidelines. Is there another way to make this work? 

‘’Afghan women’s stories and experiences are not being shared. That is why the international community should make sure Afghan women are invited to and have a seat at the table and refuse to engage in forum’s where this isn’t the case. Women participation should be non-negotiable and a priority condition not an option.’’ Maryam Rahmani 

Now is the time to use your power to make sure we don’t forget women in Afghanistan. Thanks to Maryam for reminding me of this.  

Womankind Worldwide and the Women’s Regional Network (WRN) will be launching a report on 7 December at the House of Lords in the UK which documents the unheard voices of women in Afghanistan. To find out more sign up to our e-newsletter 

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