Breaking Borders: The Fight to Include Women's Rights in Afghanistan's Legal System

Judge Fawzia Amini fled Afghanistan in September 2021, with her law degree stitched into her dress after a prestigious career as Supreme Court judge and as one of the key drafters of the Afghanistan EVAW law, amongst many others. In this presentation she reflects on the legal changes effected in Afghanistan prior to September 2021 and the brutal shift on the return of the Taliban to power, as well as offering wider reflections on the importance of women judges, on the vulnerability of women’s rights and the role of the international community.

Registration

Please register on Eventbrite. Refreshments will be available between 6pm and 6:30pm.

This event has been organised by the SOAS School of Law and KarmaBank.

Moderator

Professor Gina Heathcote, Professor of Gender Studies and International Law, School of Law, SOAS University of London

About the speaker

Judge Fawzia Amini, Supreme Court Judge and Leader of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Women Affairs, Afghanistan

Judge Fawzia Amini held numerous positions in the Afghan government for more than two decades, including as Leader of the Legal Department of the Ministry of Women Affairs. She later became a senior judge in the Supreme Court of Afghanistan and Leader of the Violence against Women Court. During her time in government, Judge Amini was a member of the drafting committee of the Elimination of Violence against Women Law, the Family Law, and regulations for protection centres for women at risk. She worked closely with the Ministry of Justice to review laws from a gender perspective and ensure the protection of women’s rights, and she conducted hundreds of capacity building trainings on legal issues linked to women’s rights. When the Taliban regained control of the country in 2021, Judge Amini was forced into hiding after receiving numerous threats against her life. With assistance from the International Bar Association, she and nearly 100 women judges were able to escape from the country. Upon her arrival to the United Kingdom, Judge Amini immediately turned her attention and energy to advocating for the protection and rescue of the women judges who remain in Afghanistan.