PRESS RELEASE - Lantos Foundation to Honor Three Remarkable Afghan Women with the 2021 Lantos Human Rights Prize

Three extraordinary Afghan women were jointly awarded the 2021 Lantos Human Rights Prize: Judge Fawzia Amini, Ms. Roya Mahboob, and Ms. Khalida Popal. Each of these women has worked fearlessly and tirelessly to promote and protect the rights of Afghan women, in their own unique way and from within their respective fields – including the legal profession, the tech business world, and the sports arena.

Judge Fawzia Amini held numerous positions in the Afghan government for more than two decades, including as head of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Women Affairs. She later became a senior judge in the Supreme Court of Afghanistan and head of the Violence against Women Court, where she settled hundreds of cases against perpetrators of violence. During her time in government, Judge Amini was a member of the drafting committee of the Elimination of Violence against Women Law, the Family Law, and regulations for protection centers for women at risk. She worked closely with the Ministry of Justice to review laws from a gender perspective and ensure the protection of women’s rights, and she conducted hundreds of capacity building trainings on legal issues linked to women’s rights. She also played a role in Afghanistan’s accession to key international conventions on women and children, such as the UN Convention Against Torture, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and others. When the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021, Judge Amini was forced into hiding after receiving numerous threats against her life. With assistance from the International Bar Association, she and nearly 100 women judges were able to escape from the country. Upon her arrival to the United Kingdom, Judge Amini immediately turned her attention and energy to advocating for the protection and rescue of the women judges who remain in Afghanistan.

Roya Mahboob is an entrepreneur and Afghanistan’s first female tech CEO, but her impact extends far beyond the sphere of business. Ms. Mahboob has used her success and tech expertise to help educate and empower Afghan women and girls, and she has been an outspoken advocate for their rights. She founded the Digital Citizen Fund, a nonprofit that aims to increase Afghan women’s technological and financial literacy and through which she also co-founded and supports the Afghan Girls Robotics Team. Ms. Mahboob has worked to build Internet-enabled classrooms across Afghanistan, has launched an online platform to strengthen the voices of Afghan women and journalists, and she regularly speaks and writes eloquently about the vital importance of education to building peaceful, just societies that respect human rights. Ms. Mahboob was named to TIME’s 2013 list of 100 Most Influential People. Following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021, Ms. Mahboob played a crucial role in helping members of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team escape from the country.

Khalida Popal began breaking down barriers and empowering women in Afghanistan in 2007, when she helped found the Afghan National Women’s Soccer Team. She served as the team captain, and she later became the first woman ever hired by the Afghanistan Football Federation. When it became clear that she was no longer safe in the country, she went into exile and has continued her advocacy for the rights of women and girls by establishing the Denmark-based Girl Power Organisation. Girl Power encourages women’s empowerment through sport, particularly for refugee and migrant girls. Ms. Popal has become an outspoken and deeply respected advocate for women’s rights in Afghanistan and beyond. A former defender on the soccer field, she is now a defender and champion of human rights around the globe. Amid the recent fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, she worked tirelessly to help dozens of female soccer players from the senior and junior national teams escape and relocate. She has continued to support these girls and their families as they transition to their new countries of residence.

“It was a challenging task to identify three women to recognize with our highest human rights honor, simply because there are so many impressive, courageous, and inspiring Afghan women who have made contributions to the field of human rights and women’s rights. While many Afghan women would be worthy recipients of the Lantos Prize, we felt that Judge Amini, Ms. Mahboob, and Ms. Popal particularly embody the idea of a human rights champion and represent the diversity of ways that Afghan women have had an impact on human rights. We are so delighted to have the chance to honor these three women for their specific achievements – but we also feel that they will accept the Prize as representatives of their fellow Afghan women, many of whom now face the terrifying reality of a return to life under the Taliban’s oppressive rule.” - Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett, President of the Lantos Foundation.