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Members of Afghanistan's Powerful Women Movement, take part in a protest in Kabul on May 10, 2022. - About a dozen women chanting "burqa is not my hijab" protested in the Afghan capital on May 10 against the Taliban's order for women to cover fully in public, including their faces.

The Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism

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The mechanism seeks to assess the needs of Afghan human rights defenders and channel support to them, coordinate and share information among those responding to the crisis, and bring together Afghan and international voices to advocate for full respect for the human rights of all in Afghanistan.

In January 2022, Freedom House played a leading role as one of the founders of the Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism.   

AHRCM_Logo

The other founders include: the Afghan Civil Society Forum (ACSF), the Safety and Risk Mitigation Organization (SRMO), MADRE, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).  The Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom’s Afghanistan Chapter (WILPF-Afghanistan) serves in an advisory role. 

With initial financial support from the Open Society Foundations, the mechanism seeks to:

  • Bring together Afghan and international voices to advocate jointly for full respect for the human rights of all in Afghanistan.

  • Share crucial information with human rights defenders (HRDs) that will help them adjust to the post-2021 security environment in Afghanistan and stay safe. Provide safety and protection training, digital security training, documentation of human rights violations, and psychosocial support.

  • Assess the needs of HRDs in Afghanistan and the region, coordinate responses to shared problems and, whenever possible, match activists in need with potential sources of support–including the Safeguarding Afghan Democratic Actors (SADA) program at Freedom House.

  • Advocate for continuing and scaling-up programs to get Afghan HRDs to safety, including through refugee resettlement programs.

  • Join with other coalitions to help and support Afghan human rights defenders, women’s rights defenders, and civil society activists, expanding their documentation of human rights abuses in Afghanistan.

 

Explore the Program Website

 

For more information, please contact: [email protected]

Media inquiries, please contact:  [email protected] 

     

    The other founders include: the Afghan Civil Society Forum (ACSF), the Safety and Risk Mitigation Organization (SRMO), MADRE, and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH).

    Experts

     Anne C. Richard  Senior Adviser on Afghanistan Coordination

    Anne C. Richard

    Senior Adviser on Afghanistan Coordination /Distinguished Fellow

    Farishta Sakhi

    Farishta Sakhi

    Project Director

    @farishtasakhi

    Mahdi Surosh

    Mahdi Surosh

    Program Officer

    @MahdiSurosh

    Taliban are here, women disappear

    A Needs Assessment of Afghan Human Rights Defenders

    The Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism (AHRCM) in collaboration with the Afghanistan Civil Society Forum (ACSFo) are debuting a new report: “Needs Assessment Report of Afghan Human Rights Defenders.” This report is based on surveys, in-depth interviews, and focus groups of Afghan human rights defenders carried out in 2022.

    Read the Report

    Perspectives

    Taliban are here, women disappear

    Afghan Human Rights Defenders: On the Run and Still at Risk

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    January 19, 2023
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    A Year After Taliban’s Return, Afghanistan’s Civil Society Vanguard Still Needs the World’s Help

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    August 11, 2022
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    “A Constant State of Fear”: An Afghan Human Rights Defender Describes Her Life Under Taliban Rule

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    June 30, 2022
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    America Must Admit More Afghan Refugees opens in new tab

    External

    November 29, 2021

    Updates

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    New Report on Afghanistan: Human Rights Defenders Face Grave Risks under Taliban Rule

    Press release

    January 19, 2023
    AHRCM_Logo

    Freedom House, Afghan and International NGOs Launch the Afghanistan Human Rights Coordination Mechanism

    Press release

    January 27, 2022

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    Freedom House Welcomes Emily Waechter as COO and Anne Richard as Distinguished Fellow and Afghanistan Coordination Lead

    Press release

    October 20, 2021
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    Afghanistan: President Biden Must Speed Evacuations

    Joint statement

    August 21, 2021
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    Afghanistan: Experts Urge US to Save Our Allies

    Advocacy letter

    August 19, 2021

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    The White House must change course to prioritize human rights in Afghanistan

    Joint statement

    August 15, 2021

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