Monthly Archives: March 2006

Joya, wise far beyond her 27 years, speaks out for democracy and the “freedom-loving people” in her native country. “There is no fundamental change in Afghanistan” since the overthrow of the Taliban by the United States and its allies in 2001, she says. The brutal Taliban leaders were simply replaced by the brutal warlords who had battled each other during the Afghan civil war of the 1990s. Continue reading →

Not many people are willing to put their comfort, their safety, even their lives, on the line for their beliefs. Here are three brave women who are doing just that. Their courage, and their refusal to be silenced, are an inspiration — and also a sobering reminder that for millions of girls and women living under religious oppression, equal rights remain a distant dream. Continue reading →

Hearing her tiny voice and polite but limited English over a crackly international cellular connection, it’s hard to picture Malalai Joya as her reputation precedes her – as one of the bravest and most powerful women in Afghanistan. But it’s not how her words sound; it’s what this 27-year-old is saying that’s so powerful. Continue reading →