High-level CSW69 side event on Afghan women’s rights, education, and WPS agenda

On the margins of the CSW69, WIIS Italy has co-hosted the high-level CSW69 side event “Upholding the Rights of Afghan Women and Girls Women, Peace, and Security“, March 14, 2025 at 3.00-5.00 pm ET. In addition to WIIS Italy, the event was co-hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Albania to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the United Nations, the Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations, the Afghanistan Policy Lab at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security (GIWPS), Harvard College Women’s Center, and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

This high-level event has emphasized the crucial role of women in promoting stability, peace, and security in Afghanistan. Through a panel discussion featuring Afghan women leaders, policymakers, and experts in peace and security, the event has shed light on the devastating consequences of systematically excluding women from Afghan society—not just for them but for future generations of girls and boys. It has also examined strategies to ensure Afghan women have access to education.

Among the speakers: Habiba Sarabi, Pashtana Durrani, Dr. Mirwais Balkhi, Richard Bennett, Dhivya O’Connor, Lamar Zala Gran. WIIS Italy has been represented by its President, Loredana Teodorescu.

This event has called for urgent global support to amplify their voices, prioritize their future on the international agenda, and ensure Afghanistan’s sustainable peace and development are achieved with women leading the way.