Women’s rights activists evacuated from Afghanistan receive the Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation Human Rights Award 2024

Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, women in Afghanistan have experienced unprecedented oppression. However, even though their situation often appears hopeless, Afghan activists are finding courageous ways to support each other and fight for their rights. One inspiring example is the association Hami - Women Empowerment Organization, set up by evacuated female activists in Germany. Their outstanding work will be honoured by the Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation with the awarding of their Human Rights Prize on September 15, 2024.

30 evakuierte Frauenrechtsaktivistinnen aus Afghanistan haben den Verein Hami gegründet. Auf dem Gruppenfoto lachen sie und freuen sich über herausragende Arbeit aus dem Exil. — In 2021 they fled from the Taliban to Germany. Two years later, these Afghan activists decided to establish the charity Hami in order to support women forced into migration.

Three years after the Taliban took power, women in Afghanistan are living through one of the biggest crises for women’s rights in the world. Introducing over 50 restrictions, decrees and bans, the Taliban have woven an ever-tighter net to control, govern and negate all aspects of women’s lives. However, although the regime uses every means at its disposal to isolate them and keep them apart, Afghan women continue to find ways to help each other and stand up for their rights – in spite of the danger and against all odds.

The 30 Afghan activists in Germany from the non-profit association Hami - Women Empowerment Organization are a strong and inspiring example. Until 2021 they were working for our partner organisation Medica Afghanistan. Then, with the support of medica mondiale, they managed to flee Afghanistan to Germany with their closest family members. Hami was set up in 2023, allowing them to pass on their expertise and experience in working with women affected by violence. They support women with migration experience in Germany as well as in Afghanistan and other crisis areas.

For their outstanding work, Hami will be awarded the Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation’s Human Rights Prize 2024, which is endowed with 10,000 euros. The award ceremony will take place on September 15, 2024, at the Comedia Theater in Cologne, Germany, and will be hosted by the TV presenter Bettina Böttinger.

„We are delighted to receive the Human Rights Award from the Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation. The recognition and award for our newly founded organisation means a lot to us and is a great motivation. We have more than 20 years’ experience in women’s rights work and look forward to contributing our expertise in Afghanistan, in Germany and also in crisis regions around the world.”

Masiha Fayez, Vorsitzende von Hami e.V.

„The Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation’s decision to give the Human Rights Award 2024 to Hami - Women Empowerment Organization is a respectful tribute to this focussed example of female power. Hami is a great example of successful integration policy, showing how refugees can be empowered to use the abilities and the expertise they bring with them, if it is acknowledged here. They then contribute to and engage in our society, so it is a socio-political win-win situation"

Gerhart und Renate Baum

„“For 20 years, the prize-winners from Hami supported women as employees of Medica Afghanistan. Tirelessly, against all odds, they fought for better rights in Afghanistan and were role models for a new generation of women in their country. The fact that shortly after arriving in Germany they joined forces again to support women shows their tireless strength, their courage and their deep solidarity with women in Afghanistan, Germany and worldwide. Receiving the Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation’s Human Rights Award is an important recognition and encouragement.”

Monika Hauser, Gründerin und Vorständin von medica mondiale

20 years of commitment to women’s rights

Medica Afghanistan, the Afghan partner organisation of medica mondiale, supported women who experienced sexualised violence and other forms of oppression for 20 years – from 2001 to 2021. Together, we fought for an end to sexualised violence and for political change of the patriarchal power relations. Medica Afghanistan provided psychosocial and legal support to affected women in court, trained institutions and authorities how to deal with women affected by violence in a stress- and trauma-sensitive manner, and campaigned at a political level for better laws to combat violence against women. Their work was groundbreaking, and they were role models for a new generation of Afghans.

Evacuations and new beginnings in Germany

When the Taliban came to power in August 2021, our colleagues had to flee Afghanistan. The evacuation of 90 Afghan employees and their families was a huge effort full of emotional and logistical challenges – for the activists themselves and also for the medica mondiale colleagues supporting them. It was a gruelling time, often appearing hopeless, but also characterised by solidarity and courage. The activists and their families experienced severe danger and they had to leave behind their homes, family members, friends, neighbours and the rest of their lives.

After these traumatic experiences, starting from scratch in Germany was a challenge, but our colleagues met this with enormous strength and fortitude. A new language, an unfamiliar environment, and endless bureaucratic hurdles did not always make this start easy. medica mondiale set up a special “Team Welcome” to help them with language courses, first aid for newborn babies and laptops, among other things.

Today, around three years later, a lot has changed. Most of the families have been able to move out of the temporary refugee accommodation into their own apartments, and the children are attending school. Many of the women were able to take part in a special program at the Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences and complete a further training course in the field of social work. They are also working with medica mondiale’s Trauma Department to set up a pilot project which is developing a “self-care and collective care platform” that aims to network and empower Afghan women in Afghanistan and in the diaspora.

Courage, hope and strength as a role model

Our Afghan colleagues show us that courage, hope and strength go hand-in-hand. They are role models for us all, showing us how refugee women can join forces and quickly find ways to contribute their expertise to society if they are empowered to do this.

Together we stood by the side of women affected by violence in Afghanistan for 20 years. Together we continue to take a stand!