Women’s Advocate from Afghanistan Visits BWIC Shelter

On March 24th BWIC shelter staff welcomed Suraya Pazkad, Aldo Magazzeni, and Patti Jackson on a tour of the BWIC shelter. As stated in her brief bio below, Suraya Pazkad is the Executive Director of the Voice of Women Organization. It was an honor to meet her and exchange questions and share information about our different programs. We were fascinated to learn about the important work Suraya is doing and the danger she faces in an effort to promote women’s rights in Afghanistan.

Suraya Pakzad is the Executive Director of the Voice of Women Organization. VWO is one of the leading and most effective NGO's in Afghanistan. The charity's main goal is to strive for the freedom and empowerment of women in Afghan societies.

In 1998, the Voice of Women Organization was begun in secret by Suraya in Herat, during the oppressive rule of the Taliban. Today she is helping women to organize, to run, and to win elections in Afghanistan openly.  Suraya supports programs in prisons for women and their children.  In the communities, she creates education centers, health centers, food centers, business development programs, shelters and legal assistance for abused women. Suraya also partners with Traveling Mercies, building community water systems in Herat Province. Many more programs are being planned and discussed.  

The needs of the women in Afghanistan are great, for their suffering and inhumane treatment is too much for them to bear alone. Suraya is dedicated to join in their struggles and to improve the lives of women in Afghanistan. "I cannot see a woman suffering," she said. "We are half of the population of the world. We are created by the same God."

On March 10, 2008 Suraya was honored as a recipient of the International Women of Courage Award in Washington, D.C., presented to her by the then Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice. She was also interviewed by CNN on March 23, and appeared on a morning news segment.