Women Empowerment

In the academic year of 2020-2021, within the 'Women Empowerment' component, the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) established "Fatima" Afghan Girls Club in honor of Fatima “Natasha” Khalil, a bright 2019 alumna of the American University of Central Asia and human rights activist, who was tragically killed in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Initiated in July 2020 after the shocking news by Nurzhamal Karamoldoeva, CCE's Executive Director, the club’s mission is to bring together Afghan girls at AUCA and strengthen their senses of self-worth and power through monthly sessions, consisting of informal talks/discussions, workshops (i.e., leadership, empowerment, project management, civic engagement, psychological well-being, etc.), yoga and art therapy sessions, and so on. The ultimate goal of the club is to create a safe space for Afghan female students at AUCA to nurture leadership and share companionship. 

On October 1st, 2021 the Center for Civic Engagement invited the AUCA Afghan community from 2019 and 2020 cohorts to the grand reopening of the “Fatima” club in the new academic year of 2021-2022.

The event took place on campus, in the room #410, and included the following activities:

• Information session about Afghan Civic Engagement Program & Global Fellows Program
• Ted-style talks by AUCA Afghan successful students
• Coffee-break
• “Fatima” documentary film screening

As a result, around 30 Afghan students attended the reopening and received the club's official merchandise with the logo that was designed by Lima Khalil and Kabir Mokamel, Fatima's sister and close friend, respectively.

The person in the logo is Fatima, it is her photo. She took many photos in this pose and always asked that if anyone ever wants to make her statue, it should be in this pose...

Quote by Lima Khalil, Fatima's sister

Since the club aims at fulfilling the fifth Sustainable Development Goal of Gender Equality, CCE determined regular monthly workshops that consist of learning sessions and discussions as one of the main means for reaching it. Overall, 6 workshops were held strictly in an online format in the 2020-2021 AY due to COVID-19. The following topics were covered:

1. Coping strategies
2. How to stay motivated and active during the lockdown
3. Women leaders of Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan
4. Social entrepreneurship & civic engagement opportunities
5. Project management & project implementation: Afghanistan
6. Project management & project implementation: Kyrgyzstan