Founder's Biography

Zohra Rasekh is an Afghan-American, born in Kabul, Afghanistan. In 1979, after the Soviet invasion, her family immigrated to the United States.

In 1996, she traveled to Pakistan and Afghanistan for a fact-finding mission on the health and human rights condition of Afghan women inside Kabul and in refugee camps in Pakistan. In 1998, Ms. Rasekh conducted an unprecedented study on Afghan women’s health and human rights for the Boston based group, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR). She interviewed over 200 Afghan women in Kabul and in the refugee camps in Pakistan. The result of her study was published in the August 5th issue of the journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). She also co-authored, "The Taliban’s War on Women: A Health and Human Right Crises in Afghanistan."

Ms. Rasekh, who holds a masters degree in public health from the George Washington University School of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences, has written widely on the subject of women’s health and rights in Afghanistan for medical and human rights journals. She has spoken widely at universities and in public forums. In March 1999, she testified before the U.S. Senate on the situation of women in Afghanistan. On December 10, 1998, at the 50th anniversary of Declaration of Human Rights First Lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton, honored Ms. Rasekh’s work at a White House ceremony. Also, her work was featured on Dateline NBC in April 1999.

Ms. Rasekh was invited by the former king of Afghanistan, Zahir Sha, to attend the Loya Jirga preparatory meeting in November of 1999. During this meeting Ms. Rasekh advised the Loya Jirga delegates on women human rights situations inside Afghanistan, and the importance of women inclusion in the Loya Jirga process.

In February 2000, Ms. Rasekh conducted another extensive survey for PHR looking at the condition of health and social well-being of Afghan women children under the Taliban regime. In the spring of 2001, Ms. Rasekh organized a fact finding medical team to conduct a needs assessment about healthcare of women in northern parts of Afghanistan. Subsequently, in May of 2001, she traveled to Iran and visited dozens of Afghan refugees who fled Afghanistan as a result of the Taliban’s massive human rights violations.

In December 2001, Ms. Rasekh was inivited in Brussels to attend a roundtable, "Building Women's Leadership in the Reconstruction of Afghanistan. She played a key role in formulating the Brussels Action Plan, identifying critical actions to ensure that Afghan women are central in the efforts to rebuild Afghanistan. In January 15, 2002, Ms. Rasekh traveled to Afghanistan and undertook a needs assessment of the reproductive and mental health, as well as human rights condition of Afghan men, women and children. She visited the cities of Heraat and Kabul, and interviewed dozens of families, health care professionals and the interim government officials. Ms. Rasekh testified before the Congressional Human Rights Caucus on the health condition of women, and the status of Afghan hospitals and clinics in Kabul and Herat.

In February 2002, as the keynote speaker in the workshop "Post-Conflict reconstruction Assistance and Gender", held in Tokyo, Ms. Rasekh briefed the members of Japan International Cooperation Assistance (JICA) and the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) on the needs and realities of women and children in Afghanistan. Her inputs and discussion at the workshop are used by the Japan government taskforce for Afghanistan, led by Japan’s Cabinet Secretary.
Currently, Ms. Rasekh works as the President of Global Watch Group, a Washington based non-governmental organization, focusing on Afghanistan.

Also available: list of Ms. Rasekh's speaking engagements and media appearances

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