The hardship of Afghan women under the Taliban 

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Institutional Communication Service

5 December 2022

Women have been the main victims of the sudden fall of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August 2021. Before the Taliban's return to power, women played an increasingly active role in Afghan society, particularly in government, reaching 28 per cent in public administration and nearly 11 per cent in decision-making positions. Today, under the Taliban, girls are not allowed to pursue education beyond elementary school, women do not have the right to work in leadership positions in public administration, and almost all civil servants have been dismissed. New restrictions are imposed every day.

The current situation in Afghanistan has raised many national and international concerns. To address Afghan women's main concerns and the international community's responsibilities, the USI Institute of Communication and Public Policy (ICPP) organised a conference to be held on Tuesday, 6 December, from 6:30 pm in Room A11 of the West Campus Lugano's Red building. The conference, moderated by Professor Jean-Patrick Villeneuve of Università della Svizzera italiana, will feature Nasir A. Andisha, ambassador and permanent representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva; Mirjam Eggli, deputy regional coordinator for South Asia at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA); Parwiz Mosamim, a PhD candidate at USI and "Scholar at Risk" from Afghanistan; and Maryam Jami, also from Afghanistan and PhD candidate at Università la Sapienza in Rome.

 

Dr Nasir A. Andisha

He is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN in Geneva. Dr Andisha served as the Deputy Foreign Minister for Management and Resources for over three years. He completed his master's degree in International Affairs (International Economics and Development) at The George H. Bush School of Government and Public Services in Texas as a Fulbright Scholar. Ambassador Andisha has a PhD from the Asia Pacific College of Diplomacy at the Australian National University. He is also a member of the Advisory Board of the National Center for Dialogue and Progress.  

 

Mirjam Eggli 

She is the Deputy Regional Coordinator of South Asia at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) in Switzerland. Ms Eggli also worked as a Program Manager at UN Women and SDG Global Institutions. She holds a BA in Arts, Sinology, and History from the University of Zurich and a Master's degree in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford University in the UK.  

 

Parwiz Mosamim 

He is an assistant PhD candidate at ICPP at the Università della Svizzera italiana (USI) in Switzerland. His research focuses on women's representation in decision–making positions in Aghan Public Administrations. He holds a Master's degree in Public Administration from Universitas Padjadjaran in Indonesia and a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Herat University in Afghanistan. 

 

Maryam Jami 

She is a PhD candidate in Civilization of Asia and Africa at Sapienza University of Rome in Italy. Her research focuses on "The role of Asian diaspora women in the green turning point of the arts in Italy: social practices and artistic interventions for sustainable development." Mrs Jami holds a Master of Literature and Humanities from Herat University in Afghanistan.