Afghan women and girls make their mark in Canada

March 11, 2022—Ottawa, Ontario – The Government of Canada is working hard to resettle at least 40,000 Afghan nationals as quickly and safely as possible. Canada has now welcomed over 8,680 Afghan refugees, with more arriving every week.

The Government of Canada has a special humanitarian program focused on resettling vulnerable Afghan nationals, including women leaders. This week as we marked International Women's Day 2022, we recognize the strength and resiliency of Afghan women who have now settled in this country and can use their voices to support fellow newcomers while continuing to defend the rights of women and girls still in Afghanistan.

To help Afghan women newcomers carve out their important place in Canada and draw upon their skills and knowledge, many organizations and institutions are offering valuable career opportunities. Here are a few examples of how Afghan women newcomers are making their mark and helping other women:

• The School of Journalism and Communication at Carleton University in Ottawa has been hosting prominent Afghan journalist and human rights defender Farida Nekzad as a journalist-in-residence since December 2021. Nekzad has been the Director of the Centre for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists since 2017. In her leadership roles, she often had to risk her life to defend the place of women in journalism. During her current term at Carleton University, Ms. Nekzad is working with students and sharing her experience as a senior journalist, in addition to doing research on Afghanistan media, especially with respect to women and freedom of expression.
• The Calgary Catholic Immigration Society (CCIS), a Resettlement Assistance Program service provider organization in Calgary, has hired Sheila Qayumi as an interpreter and counselor. Prior to her position at the CCIS, Ms. Qayumi worked as the manager for Equality for Peace and Democracy and was an activist for the peace and defence of women’s rights in Afghanistan. She supported women networks in 20 Afghan provinces to ensure the meaningful participation of women in the Afghan peace process.

While resettlement is challenging for many newcomers, it can be particularly difficult for women and girls. Canada champions efforts by our trusted community-based partners to help them integrate into their new life.

Photos of previous arrivals of Afghan refugees are available in Dropbox for use by media. You can also monitor Canada’s progress on welcoming Afghan refugees to Canada.