The Afghanistan Organization for Development of Human Rights (AODHR) convened a high-level seminar on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in Essen, Germany, focused on the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the ongoing human rights crisis affecting Afghan women and girls. The event, which opened with the national anthems of Germany and Afghanistan, brought together human rights advocates, legal scholars, civil society representatives, and former government officials to examine systemic gender-based discrimination and identify actionable strategies for legal protection and socio-economic empowerment.
In his opening address, Dr. Daoud Ali Najafi, Chairman of the Executive Board of AODHR and former Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation of Afghanistan, emphasized that gender equality and non-discrimination are fundamental prerequisites for sustainable peace and development. Raising severe concern over the deteriorating conditions in Afghanistan, Dr. Najafi noted that severe bans on education, employment, freedom of movement, and civic participation threaten not only women but the entire future of the nation. He outlined the core objective of the seminar as promoting rights literacy around CEDAW, exploring practical pathways for women’s empowerment, and addressing the distinct challenges faced by Afghan migrant women in Germany, including legal complexities, language barriers, and economic dependence. He concluded that defending women’s rights is a shared responsibility across families, communities, civil society, and international institutions.
Addressing the assembly, Dr. Faizullah Jalal, former Professor of Law and Political Science at Kabul University, characterized the systemic oppression of Afghan women as a major political, national, and human rights crisis. He asserted that Afghan women are demanding their basic human rights—including education, work, liberty, justice, and dignity—rather than extraordinary privileges or charity. Dr. Jalal explained that women’s rights are deeply rooted in natural law, Islamic jurisprudence, national legislation, the UN Charter, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He warned that excluding women from higher education deprives the nation of critical professionals such as doctors, teachers, engineers, lawyers, and economists, thereby crippling long-term state-building and national security. He called for realistic, context-specific solutions grounded in Afghanistan’s internal realities rather than uncritical adoption of external models.
Providing a detailed legal analysis, Mr. Abdul Ahad Farzam, former Deputy Minister of State for Human Rights and International Affairs, presented the historical framework and state obligations under CEDAW. Adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979 and enforced in 1981, CEDAW obligates member states to dismantle discriminatory laws and harmful stereotypes across political, economic, social, and family spheres. Mr. Farzam highlighted that Afghanistan signed the treaty in 1980 and ratified it without reservations in 2003, leading to significant structural progress between 2001 and 2021—including constitutional guarantees of gender equality, the Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (EVAW), and increased female representation in government and the judiciary.
Delivering her address in German, women’s rights advocate Ms. Fatima Alizadah highlighted the severe contraction of educational access for Afghan girls following the political changes of August 2021. Referencing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Afghanistan ratified in 1994, Ms. Alizadah stressed that education is a mandatory legal right regardless of gender or location. She warned that barring millions of girls from secondary and higher education severely heightens risks of early marriage, child labor, and long-term economic vulnerability, concluding that education is an indispensable human right rather than a privilege.
During an interactive panel discussion moderated by Ms. Momina Yari, Deputy Executive Director of AODHR and former Commissioner of the Independent Election Commission, speakers explored practical mechanisms to combat gender-based discrimination. Mr. Ghulam Nabi Heidari, representing the “Afghanistan Turklari Milli Harakati” in the European Union, analyzed the standing of women in Islamic jurisprudence, affirming that Islam fully supports female education and civic involvement and that denying these rights contradicts core religious values. Ms. Hamida Lesani described current policies as a systematic erasure of women that dismantles two decades of institutional achievements, advocating for strategic legal and international pressure to hold accountable parties responsible. Ms. Shakila Qasemi emphasized the transformative role of educators and public awareness in shifting societal mindsets, while highlighting online learning initiatives as a vital educational lifeline for girls restricted from formal schooling.
Synthesizing the discussions, Ms. Momina Yari concluded the seminar by emphasizing that raising awareness of CEDAW must translate into concrete actions. She reaffirmed that women’s rights are an indivisible element of universal human rights, stressing that no lasting peace, national unity, or sustainable progress can be achieved in Afghanistan without the full, equal, and dignified participation of women in all areas of society.
