Malala Fund received the International Rule of Law Award for our efforts to increase girls' access to education and advocate to end gender apartheid in Afghanistan.
On October 9, the American Society of International Law (ASIL) presented its 2024 Champion of the International Rule of Law Award to Malala Fund in recognition of our work on girls’ education and efforts to end gender apartheid in Afghanistan. Malala Yousafzai, co-founder and Executive Chair of Malala Fund, accepted the honour on behalf of the organisation and our Afghan activist partners at ASIL’s annual gala at the New York City Bar Association.
“In truth, this award belongs to the activists, advocates, educators, changemakers, girls and young feminists around the world who fight every day to break down the barriers to girls’ education. So tonight, I thank you for recognising their work,” said Malala in her acceptance speech. “Far too often, these heroes are up against forces that seem impossible to move. Far too often, they are ignored and underfunded. But they never falter. They never hesitate. In fact, they step up, refusing to back down even in the darkest of circumstances. This is what motivates me.”
Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, women and girls have experienced a total reversal of their most fundamental rights, including a ban on girls’ secondary education. To help change this, Malala Fund has worked to restore girls’ access to education by investing in alternative learning programmes led by Afghan activists and organisations and advancing the global movement to end gender apartheid. Our grants are supporting the work of activists like Zarqa Yaftali whose organisation provides mental health support and online education for girls in Afghanistan. Others like Deema Hiram are urging world leaders, media and the public to support Afghan girls, amplify their stories and help restore their rights.
To further inform international legal experts about this issue, Malala participated in a panel alongside Sahar Halaimzai, Director of Malala Fund’s Afghanistan Initiative. Moderated by Binaifer Nowrojee, President of the Open Society Foundations, their conversation explored the deteriorating rights of women and girls in Afghanistan under the Taliban. They also discussed the ongoing global campaign to codify the crime of gender apartheid under international law.
“Codifying gender apartheid is not just a symbolic gesture. It would actually give us new legal tools to be able to hold the Taliban accountable,” said Sahar. “We would be able to pursue prosecutions against the Taliban. We would be able to give Afghan women and girls the global solidarity and moral and legal support that they need.” She and Malala delivered a call to action to the legal experts in the room to amplify the case for codification by applying their skills and expertise to expand the reach of this global movement.
Malala Fund stands in solidarity with Afghan women and girls. We will continue to use our resources and networks to advocate for an end to gender apartheid and protect progress on gender equality and girls’ education around the world.
