The deadline has passed. As of April 1 2025, the Pakistani government has commenced a mass deportation of Afghan people back to Afghanistan. Amongst them are 60 Afghan women, women rights defenders and their families, which face imprisonment, torture, and execution under the Taliban regime.

These women fought for their freedom. Now, they are running for their lives. If we don’t act, they will be deported into the hands of their oppressors. Sign and share now!

These women are human rights activists, defenders of women’s rights, and the future leaders of Afghanistan. They are determined to rebuild their country once Afghanistan is free from the Taliban. But if we do not act now, there will be no future for them.

Why these women need protection:
✅ Two-thirds have been arrested, tortured, or raped by the Taliban for their activism.
✅ Deportation from Pakistan means certain death or lifelong oppression for them.
✅ They are currently enrolled in a personal leadership program run by HeartWork (heartwork.earth), preparing them to rebuild Afghanistan’s future.

Who are these women and women rights defenders?

Zahra was a teacher and a women’s rights activist. In Kabul, she organized protests under the slogan “Bread, Work, and Freedom.” The Taliban did not tolerate dissent and identified her as a threat. During a protest, she was arrested, tortured, and brutally beaten, suffering severe spinal and eye injuries. After her release, she received repeated threats, her home was monitored, and her family was pressured to silence her. The Taliban has spread her name and photo at border checkpoints, ensuring she will be captured if deported.

She is not alone. Fariba, another activist, was abducted in 2023 and repeatedly tortured and raped while in Taliban custody. The Taliban tried to break her, but she refused to give up her fight for freedom. Thanks to international pressure, she was eventually released and fled to Pakistan. But even there, she remains unsafe. Taliban operatives in Pakistan continue to threaten her life.

For these women, silence is not an option. They are the future of Afghanistan. Despite their trauma, they continue to organize protests, publish statements, and raise global awareness of the horrors faced by women in their country. They dream of returning to a free Afghanistan, where they can help rebuild their homeland. But without our help, that future will never come.

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🌎  Brazil Is ready to welcome them

➡️ The Brazilian Government are prepared to fast-track humanitarian visas
➡️ Background checks can be done in one day
➡️ But only if these women are prioritized—and funding is secured

Our civil society partner Panahgah in Pakistan is coordinating the relocation. But we need financial support to make this happen.

👉 Please donate here: https://www.foodforthought.care/emergencyfund
We need up to $1.5 million to safely evacuate and resettle the group. Every contribution helps.

Donate please:
https://www.foodforthought.care/emergencyfund

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🧭 This is a global campaign

Alongside this petition, we are also gathering signatures on a sister petition with Avaaz, building international pressure on governments to act:
📢 SIGN HERE: https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/save_60_lives_loc_dn/

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📣 Our appeal to the government of Pakistan

We are grateful that Panahgah is now supporting this group and facilitating humanitarian pathways. But we urgently ask for more time.

🚨 Grant an extension beyond March 31 for these women and their families
🚨 Pause all deportation actions involving Afghan women human rights defenders
🚨 Allow time for humanitarian visa procedures and safe relocation

This is not a political issue—it is a human issue. Deporting them now would mean condemning them to death.

 

✊🏽 You Can Help Save Lives

Sign and share this petition. https://chng.it/QDpVR9BSKS

Donate if you can. https://www.foodforthought.care/emergencyfund

Amplify their voices. Together, we can protect these women and help them build a future rooted in dignity, justice, and peace.

#SaveAfghanWomen #ActNow #RefugeesWelcome #HumanRights #BrazilSavesLives

Footnote:
This petition originally addressed the Dutch government. As deportations in Pakistan became imminent, our appeal shifted to Pakistani authorities, pleading for more time. Now, with a breakthrough from Brazil, we focus on funding resettlement and sustaining global pressure. The mission remains: to protect these women and their families—and help them live in freedom.