Help Zahra, women's rights lawyer, escape Taliban

I met Zahra in 2012 when she served on the board of directors for an NGO I worked with in eastern Afghanistan (for her safety, I'm using a pseudonym, not revealing the location, and not including a photo). As an attorney, Zahra represented women victims of gender-based violence in court. She tirelessly worked within the Afghan legal system to advance an interpretation of Islamic law that elevated women's rights and provided them with justice. Thanks to the Taliban’s takeover, she now sits in her parents’ home, unable to work, unable to see her friends, unable to live anything other than a life that resembles a prison term.

Because Zahra worked for U.S.-based organizations in the past, she is eligible to come to the U.S. through the “P2” refugee program. But under the rules of this program, she must be in a third country for her visa application to be processed, and processing time can take 14-18 months, according to the State Department (for details, see this Voice of America article). Although most countries have closed their doors to Afghans, Zahra is confident she can find a way to enter Pakistan. But she won’t be able to work there and has no money for living expenses.

I hope to raise enough money to provide Zahra with 14-18 months of living expenses in Pakistan so she can go through the P2 visa process. Based on anecdotal reports from Zahra’s acquaintances in Pakistan, we estimate that this will cost somewhere between $7,000 and $14,000, depending on how long the process takes and how easily she can find affordable housing. I will send the money to her in regular increments via Western Union. If the process goes quickly and Zahra is granted a U.S. visa, she can use any remaining money that we’ve raised to help get settled here. If she is unsuccessful in securing a visa, she will have to return to Afghanistan once she runs out of money to live with her parents.