Call for Applications to 2025 Afghanistan Sister-to-Sister Program

[IwantToRetire]

NB the deadline is in only a couple of days, but thought I would post anyway just in case, but also to show some of the initiatives relating to Afghan Women. Obviously on a helping a very small number of women, and dont understand given recent rulings by the Taliban how women in Afghanistan can take part - sadly

The Nobel Women’s Initiative (NWI) has opened applications for a special Sister-to-Sister feminist peacebuilders leadership program for Afghan leaders.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureates of Nobel Women's Initiative know the importance of Afghan women peacebuilders, and the challenges they face, as well as the power of solidarity and joint efforts. The Sister-to-Sister Afghan program will bring together young feminist leaders - sisters - in an intensive program which fosters crucial solidarity, support and sisterhood, and develops skills for crucial advocacy, communications and peacebuilding work

Full details https://www.nobelwomensinitiative.org/afghansistertosisterapplications

And there it is:- 'Trans & non binary activists are encouraged to apply'.

Of course they are. They'll have so much in common with the women of Afghanistan 🙄

It would probably be very validating.

"The Sister-to-Sister Afghan program will bring together young feminist leaders - sisters - in an intensive program which fosters crucial solidarity, support and sisterhood"

Because men who think they're women and women who deny that they're women are just the sort of people who know about 'sisterhood'. It's lucky that the women in Afghanistan won't get to find out about this because it'll be as much use to them as a fart in a jacuzzi.

How inclusive, applicants must be aged 18-35!

There are other, far more useful, initiatives to help women in Afghanistan.

Everything about how trans rights have overtaken women's rights is shocking but this fills me with disgust. It tells me that the organisers have no idea of the challenges Afghan women are facing. Presumably they think the women could just identify out of their sex-based oppression.

The initiative sounds curious. Looking at the application process it doesn't look to be especially inclusive of Afghan women in Afghanistan as participation is in English only and attendance is required online at fixed times through the program. Personal and bank details are required to apply and receive funding for computer equipment.

The goal of the initiative isn't clear.

I would like to hear of other programs that are better defined and more practical if anyone knows of them? I'll reach out to my employer (INGO) and find out what we have and other working in the region.

The whole thing is sadly nonsense, so it’s open to ‘trans and non binary’ anyone who isn’t female but actual women over 35 aren’t welcome.

If you remember the Dentons document and the undercover report a Mumsnetter posted from the "We're Still Here" trans conference in 2018, Lily Madigan writing Period Poverty (or similar) on Lily's hand. Trans rights activists have always sought to attach their demands and presence to more weighty feminist, race and LGB rights campaigns.

On paper, whether trans inclusive or not, I dont really understand programmes that say they are supporting enabling women from this or that group, when it just seems to be about helping women learned the jargon that will get them funding to start a similar project.

They are very rarely based at ground level, though in the instance of Afghanistan we know they would not be able to be based in the country and any NGO employing women is now banned.

I also wonder why it is called the Noble innitiatives. Aren't most Nobel Prizes for people who have actually gone out and done something IRL. Not say around having theoretical ideas!

Nobel Women's Initiative

It is the Nobel Women’s Initiative’s mission as women recipients of the Nobel peace prize to work together to use the visibility and prestige of the Nobel prize to spotlight, amplify and promote the work of grassroots women’s organizations and movements around the world.
The Nobel Women’s Initiative works to strengthen and expand feminist efforts to promote nonviolent solutions to war, violence and militarism.

To build the world the Nobel Women’s Initiative envisions, we need collective action—driven and shaped by grassroots organizers—that engages individuals, movements and policymakers at all levels of society. There is a clear link between militarism, inequality and violence against women, and therefore to create more peaceful societies we need to shift from military solutions to nonviolent solutions. Decision-making driven and shaped by local women’s organizations and broader women’s movements is profoundly different. Women tend to focus on the common good. A vibrant civil society—free from repression and criminalization—sustains change. Support for women human rights defenders at the forefront of peace and environmental struggles worldwide is vitally important to ensure a vibrant civil society. Creating and supporting alternative narratives is essential to sparking change. To bring about political transformation, individuals must broaden their perspectives and vision of what is possible. Women’s voices and movements provide those alternative narratives.

The Nobel Women’s Initiative approaches change by:

• Convening diverse groups of grassroots women activists and organizations to share women-led strategies and solutions, and then linking these grassroots women activists and organizations to policy makers and other decision makers.
• Creatively using media to amplify the alternative narratives and solutions of grassroots women activists and organizations to policy makers and decision makers, as well as powerful civil society partners and the public.
• Working with grassroots women leaders to shape their messages and access media, as well as strengthen their capacity to conduct direct advocacy at the local, national and regional levels.
• Leveraging the prestige and visibility of the female Nobel peace laureates to bridge grassroots women leaders messages and solutions to a global audience.

https://www.womenpeacesecurity.org/member/nobel-womens-initiative/

I think this illustrates the problem. Whilst saying they want to support grassroots groups, they then imply "grassroots" women need to be educated to learn how to behave and think like the western establishment. Rather than for instances looking at how they can help grassroots organisations that have set themselves up expand and grow on their own terms.

Surely women in Afghanistan who are found to be corresponding with men online are at huge risk? Transwomen are grossly irresponsible if they get involved with this- they are INCREASING the risk to Afghan women.

I wonder what those behind this innitiative would say in response to comments here.

Every which way it doesn't make sense.

And also goes against the concept of the Nobel prize which usually goes to those who have in some way as an individual made a huge difference, discovery whatever. Never for someone who just learnt how to follow the rules, and then did so passively for the rest of their life!