The decision by the Taliban, if it is not swiftly reversed, will profoundly harm the Afghan people, the country’s prospects for economic growth and the Taliban’s ambition to improve their relations with the international community.

Mahbouba Seraj

Mahbouba Seraj is an Afghan journalist and women’s right activist who was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1948 . Mahbouba was born into royal lineage, went to Malalai High School for girls and studied at Kabul University. In 1978, Seraj and her husband were put in prison by the Communist Party of Afghanistan and later that year declared persona non grata. She left for the United States in 1977 (at least initially New York City) and lived there in exile for some 26 years, before returning to Afghanistan in 2003 .After 26 years in exile, she returned to her beloved Afghanistan to advocate for women’s and children’s rights at a time when fewer than 10% of girls were enrolled in elementary school. Since then she has co founded a number of organisations to address corruption, women and children’s rights. Most notably as the founder of the non profit Afghan Women’s Network, she has dedicated her cause to championing children’s health, battling corruption and empowering victims of domestic violence. She is the creator and announcer of a radio program for women by the name of “Our Beloved Afghanistan by Mahbouba Seraj” which has been broadcast all over Afghanistan. She has also advocated for women to be part of the political discourse, through a National Action Plan, encouraged by UN Nations. When the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, she headed not to the airport but to work. Seraj has decided to remain in Kabul to continue to work with women and children . In September 2021, she was included in the Time 100, Time's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

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