Adiba Juya works with Counterpart’s women’s leadership team as part of the Aghaaz Fellowship program, which supports Afghan women evacuees in the U.S. through strategic partnerships. In this opinion piece, she shares her thoughts on the value of education. The opinions expressed are the author’s and do not necessarily express the views of Counterpart.
Every year, the 16 Days of Activism offers an important opportunity for Counterpart to consider how it can be in even better solidarity with women survivors and advocates around the world. Last year, we highlighted recommendations from the Unifying Our Voices roundtable discussion with Afghan women leaders and activists on how to best advance Afghan women’s rights and enable protection from mounting cases of violence. As an Afghan woman, this work is close to my heart. It is one of the many reasons that I chose to pursue a fellowship at Counterpart International.
Adiba Juya moderating TEDx Darullaman Afghanistan on October 16, 2020.
Being born and raised in Kabul during the Taliban regime and having spent much of my life in poverty, I witnessed my family’s economic struggles and efforts to provide for us firsthand. This experience solidified my life’s ambition: to become a catalyst for change, dedicated to serving those in the greatest need.
Early in my career, despite the influx of international aid, I observed a lack of significant improvement in women’s socio-economic status within my community. This disparity fueled my ambition to dedicate my career to addressing Afghanistan’s economic challenges. On August 15, 2021, I fled my beloved hometown, Kabul, on a flight to India, seeking safety as the situation in Afghanistan deteriorated. My journey the past few years has taken me from India, to Kyrgyzstan, and finally to the United States.
Over the years, the cycle of conflict, war, and insecurity in Afghanistan has displaced millions of people both internally and externally. Even before 2021, 42% of women left Afghanistan due to insecurity.[1] Lack of investment in women as well as lack of solutions for chronic domestic violence were some of the driving factors, and the displacement has only intensified significantly in recent years. My own journey from Afghanistan to the United States has solidified my dedication to advocating for women everywhere. I learned to hold onto hope amid chaos, to find creative solutions to meet my needs, and to navigate challenges. But it was my education that truly became my lifeline—demonstrating the critical role education plays in survival and rebuilding life after trauma. I recently became a fellow with Counterpart’s Women’s Leadership team, where I feel one step closer to achieving my goal.
I am a positive example of the impact of investing in women, and I, like Counterpart, want to help ensure that other women in Afghanistan have the same opportunities that I did. As a child, my sister and I would travel four hours daily to attend high school and get extra lessons in mathematics and science, which ultimately helped me complete college with honors and earn a scholarship to pursue my higher education in economics with the American University of Central Asia. I would not have come this far if it were not for a supportive family that went beyond societal norms to invest in my education, allowing me to travel miles away to get the education I deserve.
At Counterpart, we see the power of investing in women firsthand. Women’s leadership is key to addressing the ongoing threats of violence and persecution that too many women face around the world, and we know that when women lead, entire communities benefit. Counterpart’s Global Women in Management program seeks to do this by investing in women NGO and business leaders to help increase their skills in program management, people management, financial resource mobilization, cross-cultural communication, negotiation tactics, and conflict resolution and equip women with digital and personal security training. Only 1% of foreign aid around the world currently goes directly to women’s organizations and businesses.[2] Organizations like Counterpart that invest in global women’s leadership development help to fill this gap.
My experiences have reinforced my belief that the root causes of international challenges lies in flawed economic policy—and especially policies that systematically exclude women from participating in socio-economic decision-making. During the 16 Days of Activism, let’s not just reflect but also act. By investing in women’s leadership and ensuring their voices are heard, we can create a world where every woman has the opportunity to thrive, free from violence and persecution.
Resources:
- https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/uncertain-haven-afghan-refugees-in-india/
- https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/migrate/60000-afghans-waiting-to-come-to-india-through-newly-launched-e-visas/articleshow/86618152.cms
- https://mixedmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/050_experiences-of-female-refugees.pdf
[1] https://mixedmigration.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/050_experiences-of-female-refugees.pdf
