Fawzia Koofi, former member of Afghanistan’s House of Representatives and head of the organization Women for Afghanistan, stressed the importance of maintaining international attention on the human rights situation in Afghanistan—particularly the rights of women—on the sidelines of the 2025 Global Security Forum in Doha. She warned that declining global focus could further deteriorate the human rights situation, especially for Afghan women and girls.
In an interview with Doha News, Koofi referred to ongoing cooperation with Qatar in the fields of education and empowerment for Afghan women, and called on the international community to continue supporting the people of Afghanistan through diplomatic pressure and humanitarian aid. She urged the world not to let Afghanistan’s crisis be forgotten.
Koofi also emphasized that excluding women from decision-making processes—especially from international forums such as the Doha meeting—contradicts international resolutions and demonstrates the global community’s failure to uphold Afghan women’s rights.
The Global Security Forum is an annual international event attended by politicians, security experts, diplomats, and representatives of international organizations. The forum aims to address global security challenges, including political crises, cyber threats, human rights, and regional stability. Participants exchange views on innovative approaches to strengthening global peace and stability, and seek to enhance coordination in response to international crises.
This year’s forum is taking place amid the Taliban’s issuance of more than 80 decrees over the past three years, stripping women and girls of all their rights. As a result, women have been excluded from public life and forced to remain at home in order to preserve their safety and survival.
Meanwhile, Heather Barr, deputy director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch, recently urged the global community to break its silence on the ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan.