Name: Leading the way for Afghan women and girls
Uploaded: 2023-11-09T11:41:29.355Z
Duration: 149.76

Athifa v6.mp4

Athifa v6.vtt

English

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Leadership.

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It's not easy.

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You have to be an example, a
role model for your children, for

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your people, for your student.

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My name is Athifa Wathanyar.

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I am a mother, I'm a wife, a sister, a
daughter and a women's rights activist.

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I am from Afghanistan.

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In Afghanistan, I was a teacher
and I was a medical student.

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You have to be responsible,
kind and have good values.

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For me, it's the leadership.

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It's the lead.

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I didn't have a choice just to
take, took the East to the streets.

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It was the only thing that we could do.

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I could do for our daughters, for our
children, for our girls, for their

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future and for the women in Afghanistan.

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What I have learned from my experience,
there is always a comfort in knowing.

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That you are doing the right things
at right times for your people.

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Now that I am out of Afghanistan, I
have a lot of responsibilities that

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I am safe and I don't want the women
and girls in Afghanistan before that,

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as I didn't want when I was living
in Afghanistan to be forgotten.

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So I have this responsibility to be
there voice and to advocate them.

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I hope I see the streets full of girls
and women, and they love and walk freely.

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And I hope I see them, the girls
at school and the girls at the

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universities, the women work and
they are living happily and freely.

You have to be an example, a
role model for your children, for

I am a mother, I'm a wife, a sister, a
daughter and a women's rights activist.

In Afghanistan, I was a teacher
and I was a medical student.

You have to be responsible,
kind and have good values.

I didn't have a choice just to
take, took the East to the streets.

I could do for our daughters, for our
children, for our girls, for their

What I have learned from my experience,
there is always a comfort in knowing.

That you are doing the right things
at right times for your people.

Now that I am out of Afghanistan, I
have a lot of responsibilities that

I am safe and I don't want the women
and girls in Afghanistan before that,

as I didn't want when I was living
in Afghanistan to be forgotten.

So I have this responsibility to be
there voice and to advocate them.

I hope I see the streets full of girls
and women, and they love and walk freely.

And I hope I see them, the girls
at school and the girls at the

universities, the women work and
they are living happily and freely.

Expert Insight

In May 2021, Athifa’s survived a violent terror attack at her school which killed over 90 students and injured over 250 girls. After the Taliban further restricted girl’s rights to education, Athifa continued to teach young girls in secret, encouraging them to believe in their dreams and futures. Athifa and her two younger sisters also became leaders in the women’s rights movement, demanding the Taliban respect the fundamental freedoms for all women and girls in Afghanistan. Her peaceful protests were met with extreme violence; fearing imminent arrest, Athifa fled to a nearby country where she was soon granted humanitarian protection by Portugal. Athifa is a proud mother of two who dreams of resuming her medical studies. Athifa is requalifying as a mathematics teacher and continuing to fight for the rights of all women and girls in Afghanistan.