Born: 1976 (Kabul)
Biography:
Jamila Afghani (Persian: جمیله افغانی; born 1976 in Kabul) is a feminist and an activist for women’s rights and education in Afghanistan. She is the founder and executive director of the Noor Educational and Capacity Development Organization (NECDO). She is also an executive member of the umbrella organization, Afghan Women’s Network (AWN). In 2022, Jamila Afghani was awarded the seventh annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.
As a child, Afghani had polio and because of complications from the disease, she must use a brace to walk. Despite this challenge, she has been determined to make a difference in the lives of Afghan women.
When she was fourteen, Afghani was shot in the head during the Soviet War, but she survived and used this traumatic experience to fuel her passion for advocating for women’s rights. This event further solidified her commitment to improving the status and opportunities for Afghan women.
In the 1990s, Afghani fled Kabul during the Afghan civil war and settled in Peshawar. It was there that she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Peshawar. With her educational background and personal experiences, Afghani embarked on her journey as a social worker, focusing on helping Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan.
One of the major initiatives Afghani undertook was establishing Qur’anic education classes to help women in the camps become literate. She understood that a lack of female teachers was a significant barrier to women’s education, and she aimed to address this challenge by providing opportunities for women to learn through Islamic teachings.
In 2001, Afghani founded NECDO with the aim of empowering women and children through education. The organization not only focuses on providing formal education but also offers sign language classes and courses on conflict resolution and gender issues. NECDO is known for its innovative approaches to engage women and girls, such as creating a library specifically for girls and incentivizing boys to bring the girls to visit the library by offering prizes for each five girls brought. Through these efforts, NECDO has been able to reach approximately 50,000 women in 22 provinces.
Afghani’s work goes beyond education; it aims to challenge the misconception that Islam supports violence against women. She recognized the importance of engaging religious leaders to change attitudes and practices. In an effort to promote women’s rights from an Islamic perspective, she developed the first gender-sensitive training in Afghanistan for Imams. By presenting the new materials to interested Imams, they began incorporating women’s rights into their preaching immediately. As of 2015, around 6,000 Imams were part of this program, leading to khutbas (Friday sermons) in influential mosques across Kabul.
Through her work, Afghani has witnessed a shift in perception among men who previously did not realize that Islam supports women’s rights. Her training programs have empowered men to become advocates for women and challenge patriarchal norms within Afghan society. This has generated a new kind of revolution within religious circles, where leaders who were once seen as oppressors are now using the words of the Quran to promote fairness for women.[12]
Afghani’s activism also extends to challenging the patriarchal tribal system of government in Afghanistan, recognizing the need for systemic change to achieve gender equality and women’s empowerment. Her commitment and determination have made her a significant figure in the fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Awards:
– 2022: Seventh annual Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.