In September 2021, a group of 11 prominent Afghan women were nominated for the Sakharov Prize. These women are actively engaged in the fight for their rights, their education and their inclusion in the construction of Afghan society. They come from different ethnic backgrounds but are united in their common cause of defending human rights, especially women's rights, focusing on the political, educational, civil and cultural spheres.
The European Parliament seeks to keep the situation of Afghan women at the top of the European and international agenda, and this event will have at its heart a remarkable anthology of short stories by contemporary Afghan women writers – My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird, New Fiction by Afghan Women, which is the first of its kind in translation, from Dari and Pashto. Since the Taliban took power and with the decline in the rights and status of women within Afghan society, these stories have a particular resonance. Join us as we explore the stories of these women at this critical moment in Afghanistan.
Samira RAFAELA, MEP, has been an MEP on behalf of D66 since 2019. She is part of the Renew Europe group. In her work at the national police and previously at the municipality of Amsterdam and in her activities for D66 and the Young Democrats, she has always been concerned about inclusion and participation. In the European Parliament, Ms Rafaela sits on the committees on international trade, women's rights and gender equality. She clearly expresses her support for Afghan women and called on the President of the European Council to urge Member States to guarantee a safe exit for anyone, and in particular women and girls, at risk of being targeted by the Taliban.
Lucy HANNAH is founder and director of Untold Narratives CIC, which produced the anthology My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird, New Fiction by Afghan Women (MacLehose Press). She founded and runs Commonwealth Writers which operates in 53 countries, particularly in regions where there are few or no creative industries. At the BBC she created the BBC Writer's Room. She has worked with new writers in many countries, including Afghanistan, Chechnya and South Sudan. She is a visiting scholar at King's College London and director of the BOCAS LitFest in Trinidad.
Zarghuna KARGAR is one of the translators of My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird, New Fiction by Afghan Women, (MacLehose Press). She is an award-winning journalist for BBC World News, based in London. She produced and presented the BBC's Afghan Woman's Hour and is the author of Dear Zari, The Secret Lives of Women in Afghanistan (2012), a book which reveals the secret lives of women across Afghanistan and allows them to tell their story in their own words. . She has dedicated most of her journalistic career to working for and with Afghan women. She also wrote Amina's story, in the 2013 documentary Girl Rising.
Nicola DAHRENDORF, President, is a human rights and humanitarian practitioner, specializing in protection, peacebuilding and conflict resolution in conflict and post-war contexts. She has worked with international non-governmental organizations, the United Nations, the Norwegian, British and Swiss governments and in an academic capacity. She holds a master's degree in social anthropology from the University of Cambridge and in law and development from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London.
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