ASCENT FROM CHAOS? AFGHANISTAN’S UNCERTAIN FUTURE

TAKING THE LEAD: WOMEN AND CIVIL SOCIETY IN AFGHANISTAN

Suraya Pakzad, Founder and Executive Director, Voice of Women Organization

The Afghan women’s movement has a rich history of improving opportunities for women’s education, security, economic prosperity, and health. However, in 2009, Afghan President Hamid Karzai signed into law the Shia Family Law, which curtailed women’s custody rights and freedom of movement, among other things. What does this action, combined with Karzai’s plan for talks with the Taliban, mean for the preservation of rights for which the women’s movement has long fought? How has the Afghan women’s movement changed over the last ten years, and is a continued international presence needed in Afghanistan to guarantee advances and prevent further setbacks? Join us for the continuation of our Chicago and the World Forum series “Ascent from Chaos? Afghanistan’s Uncertain Future,” as Suraya Pakzad addresses what Afghan civil society and the women’s movement may look like as Afghans rebuild their nation.

Suraya Pakzad is the founder and executive director of Voice of Women Organization. An activist for women’s rights, she has previously worked for CARE International, the Aschiana Foundation, and the Government of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Women Affairs. In 2008, Pakzad was awarded the U.S. State Department’s International Women of Courage award and the National Medal (Malali Medal) from the President of Afghanistan. TIME magazine named her one of the world’s most influential persons of 2009. She is also the recipient of the 2009 Voice of Peace Award. In 2010, she received the Global Citizen Award from the Clinton Global Initiative, the Victim of Terrorism Foundation Award, and the Peace Jirga Award. Pakzad was educated at Kabul University.