Who is Hamida Lissani?

I am Hamida Lissani. During my childhood in migration (Iran), I lost my parents. Due to circumstances, I was married at the age of 14. However, as I had a strong passion for education, I continued my studies at night school despite having three children. After the Bonn Conference and the relative security in Afghanistan in 2004, my family and I returned to Afghanistan. Alongside working, I began my academic studies in journalism at Kabul University in 2009, and later earned my master’s degree in political science from Payam Noor University in Kabul. I also worked as a journalist and prepared a program called Sayeh (or Successful Women) which aired on Radio and Television Rah-e-Farda.

In 2016, with the help of several courageous and talented women, we established the Empowered Women Organization, which carried out many activities in the women's sector. Despite being a mother of five children, I studied at night, worked as an employee and journalist, and served as the head of the Empowered Women Organization, where I advocated for women’s rights and human rights in every area. Throughout this journey, I faced many hardships and was threatened with death three times, but I didn’t give up, determined to prove that nothing can hinder a woman’s progress and aspirations.

After the fall of Kabul, along with other protesting women, we staged numerous protests against the Taliban. To organize our struggles, in 2023, with the help of some freedom-loving women and human rights defenders, we established the Women Towards Freedom Movement, through which we initiated numerous campaigns against the Taliban, the largest violators of human rights, for women’s rights and human rights. This struggle continues until we achieve social justice.

Currently, I am residing in Germany, where I am active as a human rights advocate. I am also part of the ifa Scholarship (German Institute for Foreign Relations) as a human rights defender.