Dr. Massouda Jalal (right) with daughter Husna Jalal (left) photographed after being exiled to the Netherlands (Photo: Marieke van der Velden)
GENEVA, February 13, 2025 — A cross-regional coalition of more than 30 human rights organizations announced today that Dr. Massouda Jalal and her daughter Husna Jalal will receive the 2025 Geneva Summit International Women’s Rights Award, on behalf of all Afghan women’s rights activists.
Dr. Massouda Jalal, Afghanistan’s former Minister of Women’s Affairs, was the first woman to run for Afghanistan’s presidency. She ran for president in 2002 and 2004, and then was again on the ticket as a vice-presidential candidate in 2019, running on a platform to oppose extremism and promote human rights. Outside of her political career, she founded the Jalal Foundation to empower Afghan women. Her daughter, Husna Jalal, founded the Young Afghan Women’s Movement to amplify the voices of Afghan women globally. Both forced into exile after the Taliban’s return in 2021, they now live in the Netherlands, and have continued advocating for the rights of Afghanistan’s oppressed women.
Massouda and Husna Jalal will receive the prestigious prize on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at the 17th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, in recognition of the countless Afghan women who risk their lives for human dignity and equality. The ceremony will be attended by UN ambassadors, former political prisoners, human rights activists, and journalists from around the world.
“This award is for the brave women of Afghanistan who continue to resist oppression despite unimaginable hardship. By honoring Massouda and Husna Jalal, we recognize the entire movement of Afghan women’s rights defenders who, under unimaginable conditions, continue to fight for their rights and dignity,” said Hillel Neuer, executive director of United Nations Watch, a co-organizer of the conference together with Human Rights Foundation, the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, and more than 25 other human rights groups.
“In August, the Taliban outlawed Afghan women from speaking in public. The fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan has become more urgent than ever. We praise the determination of Massouda and Husna Jalal to refuse to let the voice of Afghan women be silenced,” said Neuer.
“Massouda and Husna Jalal’s work through their organizations—through the Jalal Foundation and the Young Afghan Women’s Movement—has empowered countless Afghan women, ensuring their voices are heard on the global stage,” added Neuer.
Previous laureates of the International Women’s Rights Award include prominent women’s rights activists such as Fatou Baldeh of Gambia, Shima Babaei from Iran, Julienne Lusenge of DR Congo, and Gulalai Ismail from Pakistan.
Dr. Massouda Jalal: “This award belongs to the women of Afghanistan”
“Receiving this award on behalf of the women’s rights activists of Afghanistan is a profound honor. This recognition amplifies their voices and our continued struggle for equality,” said Dr. Massouda Jalal.
“My hope is that this international platform will inspire the global community to stand with Afghan women in their fight for freedom, dignity, and human rights.”
Husna Jalal: “A tribute to Afghan women’s courage”
“This award is a tribute to the courage of Afghan women, who, despite immense adversity, continue to demand their rights. We accept it on their behalf knowing that their struggle is far from over,” said Husna Jalal.
“In Afghanistan, women’s rights have suffered devastating setbacks, with the Taliban reversing decades of progress and silencing female voices. The international community has not done enough to address these violations, leaving Afghan women to endure systematic oppression.”
“May this recognition serve as a call to action for the world to support grassroots efforts like ours, so that we can work together to ensure that gender equality in Afghanistan does not remain a distant dream.”
About the Geneva Summit
Massouda and Husna Jalal will join fellow champions of human rights from around the world at this year’s Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, including dissidents, activists, victims, and relatives of political prisoners from Iran, Hong Kong, Saudi Arabia, Tibet, Russia, Eritrea, and more who will testify on abuses in their countries.
“The Geneva Summit of Human Rights serves as a global hub for dissidents, offering a unique opportunity to hear first-hand from frontline defenders of human rights, many of whom have endured brutal arrest, incarceration and torture,” said Neuer.
Videos of past speaker testimonies are available at www.genevasummit.org.
Admission to this year’s February 18 Summit is free and open to the public, but registration is mandatory. The conference will also be available via live webcast.
Speakers are available for interviews before the event. For a full list of speakers, please see our media kit.
For media inquiries or interview requests, please contact media@genevasummit.org.
