Afghan Woman in Germany Campaigns for Her Compatriots
- Jan 22
- 2 min read
Düsseldorf , Germany – An address on the plight of women in Afghanistan drew a sympathetic audience to a program hosted by UPF-Düsseldorf on January 22, 2026. The guest speaker, Ms. Muzhada Ahmadi, who has lived for three years in Germany with her parents and siblings, reported about the situation in her native land. In Afghanistan she had worked as a journalist, but due to political and social developments after the Taliban took power, is no longer able to practice her profession.
It was with a heavy heart that she was standing in front of the audience to speak of the reality confronting the women in her country, Ms. Ahmadi said. Since the Taliban took power, the lives of millions of women and girls have changed dramatically, exposing them to a daily life of fear, oppression, violence and hopelessness.
Women are forbidden to take up employment. Every movement outside the home is strictly controlled and can be life threatening. The banning of women from the workplace has resulted in extreme financial hardship for many families. This hits the children especially hard, above all girls to whom the access to education is completely barred. For women, Afghanistan has become a country of violence, silence, and oppression. International organizations are only able to offer limited help, and the Taliban exerts full control.
Ms. Ahmadi emphasized that national borders and political arguments should not be an obstacle to ensuring the rights, life and dignity of women. She called for cooperation beyond political differences to protect Afghan women, as human beings with rights, dignity and dreams that must not be ignored.
At the same time, Ms. Ahmadi stressed that the actions of the Taliban have nothing to do with the faith of Islam, which respects women's rights. Rather, she said that today's oppression can be traced back to cultural and social attitudes that existed before the Koran and regarded women as subordinate to men.
Ms. Ahmadi sees it as her personal task to draw attention to the situation of women in Afghanistan. She gives lectures, writes articles for various newspapers and uses poetry as a form of expression to draw attention to the oppression of women. In addition, she founded the international movement "I Will Not Be Silent," through which she campaigns worldwide for the rights of Afghan women.
Ms. Ahmadi expressed her gratitude at being able to speak; she also received a UPF Ambassador for Peace certificate for her selfless devotion in advocating for the voiceless women of her country. All participants agreed that this was a very moving meeting which made a deep impression on them.
