Keeping Afghan Women Human Rights Defenders alive and strong
As of March 31, 2025, Pakistan has begun mass deportations of Afghan refugees. Among them are 60 Afghan women human rights defenders (WHRDs) and their families: women who have been arrested, tortured, raped, and targeted by the Taliban for their activism. Deportation now would mean imprisonment, torture, or execution.
These women are not only survivors. They are the future leaders of Afghanistan. Many organized protests for “Bread, Work, and Freedom” and continue to speak out despite grave risks. Today, they are enrolled in the “Inner Peace” leadership program run by HeartWork, preparing to rebuild Afghanistan once it is free.
So far 23 WHRD’s and their families (in total 53 people) have made it to safety in Brazil. New evacuations are currently stalled until new quotas open in Brazil. In the meantime, these women and their families are hiding in shelters from arrestation and deportation in Pakistan, living under constant threat.
HeartWork supports them not only with leadership development but also with emergency medical care, because their health conditions are deteriorating fast – see below the findings of a recent research study of Dr Mohammad Yama Shahab.
Your support is vital. Every donation helps provide urgent care and the training that keeps hope alive until safe passage becomes possible.
Alarming health findings among Afghan migrant women
September 15, 2025
A groundbreaking study by Dr. Mohammad Yama Shahab reveals a severe but preventable health crisis among the women of the 60 Afghan WHRD’s and their families. The research shows that over 60% of 143 women suffer from iron deficiency anemia, nearly two-thirds already have osteoporosis, and three out of four are vitamin D deficient. Older women face additional risks of vitamin B12 depletion and irreversible nerve damage.
These conditions are not just medical, they are humanitarian. Forced into confinement, poverty, and isolation, women are unable to access nutritious food, sunlight, or healthcare. The result is chronic pain, disability, and declining quality of life.
What is needed now:
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Micronutrient supplementation (iron, vitamin D, calcium, B12)
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Community-based healthcare and osteoporosis treatment
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Emergency donor funding to prevent long-term disability
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Advocacy and protection to remove barriers to sunlight, healthcare, and mobility
Every supplement provided is not just medicine. It is a lifeline for survival, resilience, and hope. With timely support from NGOs and donors, we can reduce suffering, restore dignity, and give these women a chance to heal and lead.
PeaceWork is a project development platform focused on peace-seeding initiatives
We do things differently. Unlike traditional charities that provide one-time funding and walk away, we stay. We listen. We invest in people, not just projects.
What is PeaceWork
The Problem
Right now, there are incredible changemakers dedicating their lives to building peace in their communities. They are rescuing women from violence, giving children access to education, and helping people rebuild their lives after trauma. But they are often working alone, without the mentorship, resources, or support they need to grow their impact. Too many life-changing initiatives struggle to survive, not because they lack passion, but because they lack the backing to truly thrive.
We don’t just believe in peace—we build it.
We stand beside the people who are already creating change, offering them the mentorship, coaching, and leadership development they need to take their projects to the next level.
Our unique approach
We do things differently. Unlike traditional charities that provide one-time funding and walk away, we stay. We listen. We invest in people, not just projects.
Grow
Through deep, ongoing support, we help local changemakers grow into stronger, more confident leaders.
Connect
We provide them with tools, connections, and knowledge to build something that lasts.
Thrive
And when they succeed, entire communities are lifted. This is how we create ripples of peace—one leader, one project, one community at a time.
Meet The Changemakers We support
These aren’t just projects. They are people—people who refuse to accept the world as it is and are actively building the world as it should be.
If their work inspires you, join us. Whether through mentorship, financial support, or spreading the word, you can be a part of this movement.
Together, we don’t just hope for peace—we make it happen.
Hope Skilling (Uganda) – Founder: Sarah Arao
Sarah has dedicated her life to helping women who have survived sex trafficking find dignity and independence. Through Hope Skilling, she provides them with vocational training, mental health support, and leadership development, helping them build lives where they no longer just survive, but thrive.
Why PeaceWork?
The world is facing a growing crisis. The Sustainable Development Goals—already a set of negotiated compromises—are slipping further out of reach. Meanwhile, global temperatures are rising faster than scientists predicted, pushing entire regions toward uninhabitability. Mass migration will follow. And with it, rising tensions between people, communities, and nations.
Now is the time to strengthen our peace-building muscle.
We are already seeing the pressure build: more extreme weather events, regional conflicts, and rising geopolitical instability. The need for proactive peace-building is no longer a future concern—it’s a present imperative.
When HeartWork was invited to help shape a new peace-building initiative, it wasn’t a question of if we should engage. It was clear: the time to act is now.
