The situation in Afghanistan is beyond urgent. It’s terrifying.
We never imagined the IAWJ would be involved in rescuing colleagues and their esteemed families from threats of death. But they have nowhere else to turn. So they reached out to us one by one, pleading for help. Like Halima* who wrote, “We desperately request you to help us if it is possible that we can get out of this country and save our lives.” Or Bahar*, who courageously carried out her judicial duties, even as her family begged her to remain at home. On her last day at court, she hugged her three small children goodbye, fearing she might never see them again. She only left when the court security told her the Taliban had entered the neighborhood.
Overnight when the Taliban reached Kabul, the focus of our Afghan Support Committee changed. We made a solemn promise to the women judges of Afghanistan that we would do all we could to ensure their rescue and that we would forget no one.
This was a promise made perhaps naively, given what we now know. It was not something our training or experience prepared us for, but we had no choice. Especially when we heard how Maria* narrowly averted death. "The Taliban rushed our house, firing on the gate to force it open. We jumped from the top floor to a neighbor's house and hid." Her husband had to carry his disabled brother.
Together with a network of amazing partners, the IAWJ has been working non-stop to rescue 250 Afghan women judges living under this threat. In October, around 100 judges, and over 500 of their family members, including Maria, were successfully rescued with other vulnerable Afghans on several chartered flights. An additional 50 judges managed to escape via other routes as well.
But our work is far from done. Close to 100 of our fellow women judges and their families, 600 individuals in total, remain in hiding and are desperately asking for our help. For most of these judges, it is us or nobody.
Their families are in mortal danger merely because they are related to a woman judge.
The IAWJ is determined to help them before it is too late, especially with winter approaching, which will exacerbate food shortages and make evacuations more challenging and expensive.
USD 5,000,000 is urgently needed to cover the costs of further evacuations, safe houses, food, and medical expenses for judges still in hiding or in transit countries and the costs to help resettle all the female judges and their families in their final destinations. Unfortunately, governments have simply not stepped in, leaving the responsibility to small NGOs like us. While monumental, it’s a huge honor to help these highly educated women who will significantly contribute wherever they settle.
We are working closely with numerous NGOs. One of our main partners is the Aleph Institute, whose mission is to provide emotional, financial, and spiritual support to individuals in institutional environments. Their high-level network within the judicial and political sphere and their international advocacy reach made them an ideal partner to address the needs of our fellow judges.
So many of you have asked how you can help. I am pleased to say that our campaign is now live at AfghanWomenJudgesFund.org.
I hope you too will join hands in supporting our sister women judges.
Here is how you can get involved in helping Maria resettle or Halima evacuate, as well as the rest of our sister judges facing this unimaginable crisis:
Contribute toward our fundraising goal of $5,000,000. This fund will provide shelter and evacuate judges to safety, provide for their needs while in a transit country, and facilitate their long-term resettlement. AfghanWomenJudgesFund.org.
Spread the word to your family, friends, and other contacts by publicizing the campaign as widely as possible. Connect with us on our Facebook and Instagram. Set up a personal fundraising page with a unique link that you can share on social media. You can contact our campaign support Rivka Tamir at +1 213-532-8155 or by emailing AfghanWomenCampaign@iawj.org to be walked through this process.
I look forward to updating you regularly on the progress of this campaign. The voices of our fellow judges are being silenced, but together we can be their voice.
Yours sincerely,
Justice Susan Glazebrook
IAWJ President