KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Four young activists from Afghanistan, two men and two girls, have been awarded the prestigious Diana Award 2024 for their unwavering efforts to promote equality, education, and women’s rights in Afghanistan and globally.
Established in memory of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, the Diana Award annually honors young people who work to improve the lives of others and make a positive impact in their communities.
The list of 2024 Diana Award recipients, released on Thursday, December 5, includes four young activists from Afghanistan: Robina Azizi, Muzhda Akbari, Mosawer Fayez, and Abdul Majid Barekzai, among around 200 others from across the globe.
Robina Azizi and Muzhda Akbari, two young girls from Afghanistan, were recognized for their unwavering advocacy for girls’ education in Afghanistan, where the Taliban denies women and girls this fundamental right.
As noted by the UK-based charity, Robina, a 19-year-old girl from Afghanistan, has dedicated her life to advocating for Afghan girls’ education. Forced to leave school herself, she founded “Girls on the Path of Change,” an international online platform in 2023 that has inspired thousands of girls deprived of education both in Afghanistan and globally.
“Together with international volunteers at Girls on the Path of Change, she campaigned against the closure of schools and universities, raising the voices of Afghan girls,” the charity stated, adding that Robina’s determination to uplift and educate Afghan girls is changing the world.
Muzhda Akbari, according to the charity, founded CodeGreenAfghanistan at the age of 16 to promote girls’ education despite the Taliban’s restrictions. She also organized protests and offered STEM education through online courses and workshops to advocate for girls’ right to education.
“Through proactive initiatives and collaboration, ‘CodeGreenAfg’ stands as a beacon of hope for Afghan girls striving for education against the odds,” the Diana Award said.
Mosawer Fayez, an Afghan refugee and young education activist, founded the NSDE Foundation in 2023, a non-profit organization advocating for education as a fundamental right. The foundation provides online schooling, language courses, and capacity-building programs for marginalized communities, with a focus on girls’ education.
Regarding Abdul Majid Barekzai, the UK charity stated that he is a passionate advocate for equality in Afghanistan, dedicated to addressing social injustice through workshops, education, and economic empowerment.
“Majid’s initiatives empower communities, amplify marginalized voices, and inspire youth to lead social change,” the charity said, adding that he plays a crucial role in shaping a brighter and more equitable future for Afghanistan.
This recognition comes at a time when the Taliban in Afghanistan has deprived women and girls of their most fundamental rights, including access to education and employment. While boys and men are allowed to attend schools and universities, the ruling regime has severely damaged the entire educational system by replacing modern subjects with religious ones and replacing qualified teachers with unqualified men, mostly graduates of madrasas.
Recently, the Taliban barred women and girls from pursuing medical education such as nursing and midwifery, which had been the only remaining option for them to receive education in the health sector.
