With millions in Afghanistan now uncertain about their safety under Taliban control and in need of aid, these leaders are calling out for help. They’re using their voices to advocate for gender equality, the right to education, and the freedom of the press for Afghans in peril. Here’s what they have to say:

“Our democracy may have fallen for now. Ideas do not disappear so easily. One cannot kill whispers on the wind. The Taliban cannot crush a dream. We will prevail, even if it takes longer than we wanted it to.”

— Sakena Yacoobi, Afghan Institute of Learning

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“As international forces withdraw from Afghanistan, we have a moral obligation to stand with those who worked toward a more open and inclusive country. For 20 years, Afghan journalists were among the West’s greatest allies. We cannot be bystanders to their undoing.”

— Jeanne Bourgault, Internews

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“Since 2003, more than 2,500 students have graduated from AAE’s accelerated education program. Nobody can ever take away their education, no matter what happens next in Afghanistan.”

— Enayat Yasir, Aid Afghanistan for Education

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“In the last 20 years, we could finally dream! You have helped us build a new generation of strong and free women and men. But now we are back to square one. Don’t abandon us now.”

— Zarifa Ghafari, mayor of Maidan Shar

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“We will have time to debate what went wrong in the war in Afghanistan, but in this critical moment we must listen to the voices of Afghan women and girls. They are asking for protection, for education, for the freedom and the future they were promised.”

— Malala Yousafzai, advocate for girls’ education + women’s equality

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Support women, students, journalists, and families in Afghanistan now by making a donation to the Afghanistan Emergency Fund.

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