Women for Afghanistan (“WFA”) is a nonprofit organization established in Geneva and functioning according to Swiss laws with the purpose to:

  • Amplify the voices of the people of Afghanistan, especially women, throughout the world;
  • Create a platform to serve as a space for dialogue and improved relationships between Afghan people, especially women, stakeholders from Afghanistan, international institutions and organizations (such as the United Nations, international NGOs, the International Criminal Court and the European Union), civil society and women’s associations;
  • Seek opportunities for the promotion of education, the improvement of life skills and development of women’s entrepreneurship;
  • Provide humanitarian assistance, promote peace and democracy and enhance the rights of Afghan people with a focus on the situation of women.

WFA collaborates with the UN, EU and its member states, women and men from Afghanistan and in exile to create a platform for dialogue. The organization strives to promote peace, dialogue, democracy and a genuine understanding of women rights and their situation.

 

Message from our President

 

I am honored to serve as the Board President of Women for Afghanistan (WFA). As a not-for-profit organization, WFA serves as a platform to unite and amplify Afghan women’s voices and address their needs at this pivotal moment in history when the ruling regime is actively suppressing and denying the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

WFA aims to provide a safe space for women and girls inside and outside of Afghanistan, of all backgrounds, and with diverse viewpoints, to exercise their rights and determine their own future. Our focus at WFA is to transform the organization into a safe space where women can coalesce, collaborate, network, strategize, and formulate plans to help lead them into positions of leadership for a positive change in our country. Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August 2021, we have witnessed unprecedented suppression and gross violations of women’s basic rights under the ruling regime. The de facto regime has banned women’s participation in all walks of life, including socio-economic and political spheres. The ruling regime has also actively silenced women’s voices through brutal tactics and violence without any repercussions. Despite an ever-shrinking space and fading attention from the international community, Afghan women have not given up advocating for their basic rights, fearlessly and boldly seizing any opportunity to raise their collective voices and speak up for their just cause.

It is time for all relevant stakeholders in Afghanistan to recognize and appreciate the role that women can play in fostering and more importantly leading a culture of tolerance, coexistence, peace-building, and conflict resolution. I am determined to help propel this organization to the next level for our members and partners, trusting that we can mobilize, empower, and unite Afghan women.

Sincerely,
Fawzia Koofi
Board President, Women for Afghanistan (WFA)

MEET OUR BOARD

Fawzia Koofi

Fawzia Koofi

President

Fawzia Koofi is from Afghanistan. First female vice-president of the former Afghan Parliament (former Chair of Women Affairs Commission Parliament)

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Homaira Rahimi

Homaira Rahimi

Board Member

Dr. Homaira Rahimi, from Afghanistan, Dr. Rahimi International Affairs Specialist with 10 years of experience in the field of international cooperation.

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Iris Bjorg Kristjansdottir

Iris Bjorg Kristjansdottir

Board Member

Iris Bjorg Kristjansdottir is currently a Director of the International Division with the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police.

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Kathleen Holmlund

Kathleen Holmlund

Board Member

 Kathleen Holmlund is the Managing Director of Giving Women, a membership association of women philanthropists supporting girls and women in need all over the world

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Lisa Curtis

Lisa Curtis

Board Member

Lisa Curtis is Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. She is a foreign policy and national security expert.

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MEER OUR COUNCIL OF EXPERTS

Anonymous

Anonymous

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Dr. Aliye Yilmaz

Dr. Aliye Yilmaz

Dr. Aliye Yilmaz asst. Prof. Dr. Suleyman Demirel University

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Anonymous

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Anarkali Honaryar

Anarkali Honaryar

Ms. Anarkali Honaryar, a graduate of Kabul Medical University in 2006, started her career as a Human Rights analyst at the Independent Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan

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Anonymous

Anonymous

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Massouda Karokhi

Massouda Karokhi

Ms. Massouda Karokhi is a committed humanitarian and women’s rights activist. She served as Member of Parliament from 2010 until 2021

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Anonymous

Anonymous

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Nargis Nehan

Nargis Nehan

Ms. Nargis Nehan given the title, ‘Iron Woman of Kabul’ by Bloomberg in 2019, when she was the Mines and Petroleum Acting Minister

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Anonymous

Anonymous

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Shukria Barakzai

Shukria Barakzai

Ms. Shukria Barakzai is former Ambassador of Afghanistan to Norway, parliamentarian and a women rights activist in Afghanistan

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