On August 12, 2023, YOLAN conducted a Trust Building Event in Mazar-e Sharif. In this program 29 (14 male, 14 female) human rights defenders and activists from various CSOs attended. In this program, our field researchers in Mazar-e Sharif introduced YOLAN to the participants, and the participants also shared about their works. In the second part of the program the participants discussed the challenges forward the human rights defenders and CSO activists in Balkh Province.
They mainly listed the restrictions on women education and work, lake of freedom of expression, and restricting NGOs work by the de facto government. Most of the challenges they mentioned were common across other provinces like Kabul and Nangarhar.“Saeda Aminy, one of the participants, stated:”
“Facilitating dialogues between scholars from Islamic countries and the current Afghan government can provide a platform for discussing the restrictions imposed on women in the name of Sharia law in Afghanistan. Such dialogues can highlight that these restrictions do not exist in other Islamic countries. These discussions can serve as a powerful tool for advocating women’s rights and raising awareness, especially when they are elevated to a media platform.”
At the end of the program participants proposed the following recommendations:
- Organizing a comprehensive advisory meeting involving institutions and organizations within Balkh province to discuss societal solutions.
- Establishing an all-encompassing committee comprising both institutions and their meetings with regional and central government authorities
- Convening mixed sessions involving government offices and local organizations to address the mentioned issues and find solutions.
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