In this podcast, drawn from an interview at the IBA’s Global Showcase event in late 2021, Fawzia Koofi speaks about the devastating impact of the Taliban takeover, particularly on women’s rights and religious minorities. She also addresses the US withdrawal from the country and shares her views on the role of the international community in the crisis.

Koofi is a prominent Afghan politician and activist, who was nominated in 2020 for the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in representing the Afghan government in negotiations with the Taliban and her work to uphold women’s rights in the country. Formerly a member of the Afghan Parliament and the Vice-President of the National Assembly, she is now the leader of a newly established political party, Movement for Change for Afghanistan – and the first woman to lead a political party in the country.

The situation in Afghanistan remains volatile. As reports reveal up to 8 million people are facing starvation, Koofi’s hopes and fears for the country’s future are all the more significant.