Afghan girl who encouraged others to sing wins Children’s Peace Prize

CNN
—

A 17-year-old who is not allowed to speak publicly in her own country has won a prestigious international award for standing up for the rights of Afghan girls.

Nila Ibrahimi won the International Children’s Peace Prize on Tuesday, a prize that has been awarded to luminaries including climate activist Greta Thunberg and girls’ education campaigner Malala Yousafzai.

Ibrahimi received the honor for her “courageous work to fight for girls’ rights” in Afghanistan, where women are silenced by oppressive rules imposed by the Taliban, who seized power in 2021.

Before the takeover, Ibrahimi gained an online following after using her voice to pressure Kabul education authorities to overturn a ban on schoolgirls singing in public.

Ibrahimi recorded herself singing, and her brother uploaded the video to social media.

The ‘IAmMySong’ campaign caught on and within weeks the ban was overturned.

“That was the first time I thought: wow. If I really want it, if I think this is the way I want to live, I can express my opinion and it can be accepted,” she said in a video statement.

Ibrahimi was 15 when the Taliban entered Kabul and seized power following the chaotic withdrawal of the US and its allies after a 20-year occupation, returning the country to theocratic rule.

With the help of the 30 Birds FoundationIbrahimi fled Afghanistan with her family – first to Pakistan and then to Canada, where she continues to advocate for Afghan girls.

She is a co-founder “Her Story,” which encourages Afghan girls to share their stories, highlighting the voices of those still in Afghanistan.

“Every day I think about the girls who are left behind in Afghanistan, without any hope. In Canada, I make decisions about my life and embrace the person I want to be, but what about them? Ibrahimi said this in a speech to the Summit for Human Rights and Democracy in Geneva last year.

After the Taliban took power, they closed schools for girls over the age of twelve. Teenage girls and women are not allowed to study or work and are only allowed to leave the house with a male relative. They cannot speak in public and must cover themselves from head to toe, with eyes downcast, to avoid accusations of impropriety. They are not allowed to use parks, gyms and other public facilities. They are also not allowed to travel without permission.

The restrictions are part of a dramatic reversal of freedoms achieved two decades since the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan.

Last week, the Taliban carried out a public execution, drawing condemnation from senior UN officials who called for an immediate end to such practices.

The UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, called the execution a “clear violation of human rights.” Bennett has been expelled from Afghanistan by the Taliban. who accuse him of spreading propaganda.

Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands have accused the hardline Islamist group of violating the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

The Taliban have previously said it was “absurd” to accuse Afghan leaders of gender discrimination. “Human rights are protected in Afghanistan and no one is discriminated against,” said spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat Fitrat.