U.S.- Afghan Women's Council

03/19/2026

The U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council is proud to announce the launch of a new U.S.-Afghan Women’s Coalition, building on the 23-year legacy of the Council. Led by the George W. Bush Institute, the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Coalition works to advance policies, encourage solidarity and action, and lift the perspectives and experiences of Afghan women, children, and other vulnerable populations. Check out the Coalition’s webpage here https://www.bushcenter.org/topics/freedom-and-democracy/advocating-for-women/usawc and a press release about the Coalition here https://www.bushcenter.org/newsroom/the-bush-institute-launches-the-united-states-afghan-womens-coalition, where Mrs. Laura Bush stated “Despite the brutality of Taliban rule and its attempts to erase Afghan women from society, we will never lose hope that our Afghan sisters will one day regain their freedoms.”

Read the article Democracy is a verb – Democratic citizenship in action .. Read Oct 22, 2025 Democracy is a verb – Democratic citizenship in action

06/06/2025

Celebrating Commitment and Hope: U.S.-Afghan Women's Council’s 23rd Annual Meeting

On June 3, the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC) proudly held its 23rd Annual Meeting, reaffirming its enduring commitment to empower Afghan women through its four core pillars: education, health, economic empowerment, and community leadership.
The meeting opened with welcome remarks by USAWC Vice Chair Dr. Phyllis Magrab, followed by David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, who delivered powerful remarks on behalf of USAWC Honorary Co-Chair Mrs. Laura Bush and the Bush Institute. Read the full remarks here: https://www.bushcenter.org/publications/bush-institutes-david-j-kramer-provides-remarks-at-the-u-s-afghan-womens-council-2025-annual-meeting
Mrs. Bush, who was the first American First Lady to visit Afghanistan, shared her heartfelt memories and reinforced her dedication to Afghan women. She stated:
“At the Bush Institute, we refuse to give up on Afghanistan,” and
“The USAWC will always have an ally in the Bush Institute.”
Her words echoed the resilience and long-standing solidarity the Council continues to embody.

In another moving tribute, Ambassador Melanne Verveer, Executive Director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security, read a letter from USAWC Honorary Co-Chair Secretary Hillary Clinton. Secretary Clinton expressed her profound gratitude to the Council and its members for their decades of unwavering advocacy. Read the full remarks here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_7gCWnLDUw1peDwx6NYekcqLwUtf7ntk/view
“The Council and its members’ relentless efforts to empower Afghan women and girls remain a beacon of hope, even in these dark times.”
She emphasized the critical importance of including women in peace and political processes, as well as investing in their education and economic participation:
“We know that effective outcomes for stability, good governance, economic progress, and sustainable peace result when women participate in peace and political processes.”
Secretary Clinton concluded with a powerful call to action, urging continued collaboration and sustained commitment to supporting Afghan women during these critical times.
Throughout the meeting, Council members renewed their dedication to advancing opportunities for Afghan women through advocacy, training, and strategic partnerships. As David Kramer noted in his remarks:
“We are inspired by those across this Council who have devoted decades of support to fight for a free and fair future for all Afghans.”

The USAWC’s 23rd Annual Meeting was not only a time for reflection and gratitude but also a reaffirmation of its mission; a mission grounded in hope, resilience, and enduring support for Afghan women and girls.

05/20/2025

🎥 Join us at for the DC premiere of WRITING HAWA (.hawa)—a powerful portrait by director Najiba Noori of her mother Hawa and niece Zahra as they fight to separate themselves from patriarchal traditions.

Watch on Sunday, June 15 at 3:00pm @ the Regal Gallery Place. 🎟️ Get tickets and explore the full schedule 🔗 Go to to learn more!

https://www.facebook.com/dcdoxfest

03/18/2025

Take your friends, kids, partners, selves to see this amazing story of persistence and success!

Pre-Order Tickets & Enter Giveaway: https://www.angel.com/rulebreakersgiveawayLearn More: https://www.angel.com/movies/rule-breakersIn a nation where educati...

12/04/2024

Hazara Women of Afghanistan Share Digital Stories – The USAWC is supporting this groundbreaking hybrid digital empowerment program for refugees/evacuees in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area and Malmö, Sweden. Launching in January 2025, it provides Hazara women with digital literacy and storytelling skills, fostering collaboration, creativity, and confidence. This initiative offers a unique platform for Hazara women to share their voices, reclaim their identity, and promote accurate narratives about their community. Donate here: https://www.globalgiving.org/fundraisers/53392/

This program marks the first-ever digital storytelling initiative dedicated exclusively to empowering Hazara women, providing them a unique platform to share their voices and experiences. Hazara Women of Afghanistan Share Digital Stories is a hybrid digital empowerment program designed to support re...

12/04/2024

USAWC member Eagle Online Academy/Eagle Tutors is empowering Afghan women with online jobs. Online jobs are a lifeline for Afghan women to feed their families and regain a sense of independence. Eagle Tutors is enrolling 100 new tutors for the year 2025. In just one month, they've received 480 applications, demonstrating the overwhelming demand for employment and training. Your contribution will help them provide these women with the necessary tools, training, and opportunities to thrive in a restricted situation. The link for donations is here:

Help Eagle Online Academy reach their goal by donating or sharing with your friends.

12/04/2024

Support Turquoise Mountain’s campaign as part of the BIG GIVE's CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE 2024! Donations will be matched to double your support for Turquoise Mountain's Artisan Resilience Fund, which supports communities in times of crisis. This year Turquoise Mountain will work with 6,000 women in Afghanistan who are the primary or sole breadwinners supporting their families through the coming winter. Donate here: https://bit.ly/TMbiggive

11/25/2024

"It is time we recognize that violence against women and girls, in all its forms, is a stain on our humanity." - Sima Bahous, UN Under-Secretary-General and UN Women Executive Director, for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

11/25/2024

16 DAYS OF ACTIVISM: TOWARDS BEIJING +30: UNiTE TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

Joint statement on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against UN Women Afghanistan

KABUL, 25 November - The United Nations in Afghanistan calls upon the country’s de facto authorities to take immediate action to end violence against women and girls and to reverse the systematic erosion of women’s rights and the enjoyment of their fundamental freedoms that fosters such violence.

The call is made as the world marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and the start of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign. This global campaign runs from November 25 - International Day for Ending Violence Against Women - to December 10, Human Rights Day. This year’s campaign unfolds against the backdrop of the upcoming 30th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), the UN’s definitive roadmap for gender equality.
Afghanistan continues to have high rates of violence against women, which is exacerbated by the ongoing discrimination against women across all areas of life. With the dismantling of the gender equality architecture in the country, access to comprehensive and quality services for survivors of violence has been severely impacted. At the same time, demand for these services has surged.

"We are at a critical juncture for the women and girls of Afghanistan. We need urgent action for justice to end violence against women and girls in Afghanistan,” said Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan.
In the face of these immense challenges, Afghan women demonstrate resilience and courage in their fight for dignity and freedom. Women’s organizations across the country continue to provide essential support to survivors, while communities and religious leaders are challenging harmful social norms. Men and boys are increasingly stepping forward to support the women in their families and communities, amid heightened restrictions.
“The fact that Afghan women and girls have less rights today than generations ago is a devastating reminder of the urgency of their struggle and the need for the international community to double down our efforts to stand with them, investing in their resilience, leadership and empowerment," said Alison Davidian, the Special Representative for UN Women in Afghanistan.

Violence against women has no justification anywhere in the world, including Afghanistan. The UN in Afghanistan remains steadfast in its commitment to addressing the needs of women and girl survivors of violence, amplifying their voices, and advocating for their rights. Through direct support to service providers and women’s organizations, prevention programs, and engagement with national and international stakeholders, we are working to build a future free from all forms of violence against women and girls.

11/15/2024

Zahra Joya launched Rukhshana Media in 2020 to tell the stories of Afghan women and girls. Joya’s small team of reporters, all forced to work in secret, have written stories on the collapse of the healthcare system; girls being banned from the classroom; attacks on female artists, judges, police officers and activists; and increasing food shortages. “The situation is more desperate every week,” she says. Human rights groups have described the situation facing women in Afghanistan as “gender apartheid”. “The Taliban just passed a law to stone and execute women in public again for adultery,” she adds. “There is no recourse to justice. They are denying millions of girls an education, an opportunity to work or to travel outside the house. They are trying to eradicate us completely.”

Her family have been threatened and her team faces increasing risks in Afghanistan, but Zahra Joya knows she must keep reporting from exile