VOICE is a cutting-edge feminist organization working to end violence against women and girls in conflict, crisis, and disaster settings around the world.
Co-founded by Mendy Marsh and Emma Fulu, the VOICE team is comprised of skilled humanitarians with extensive experience working on violence against women and girls in emergency contexts. They have seen that the humanitarian aid sector itself has consistently failed to meet the needs of women and girls in these settings. They believe that the industry must change to deliver on its promise to protect them; and know that they are the best judges of what is needed, though they are routinely ignored by those who hold the power in aid organizations.
VOICE is working to help meet the needs of women- and girl-led organizations in a growing number of countries, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, the United States, Venezuela, and Yemen.
VOICE is sponsoring a campaign to “Stand Up For the Women and Girls in Afghanistan.”
Through decades of war, fundamentalist and patriarchal violence, political and economic instability; feminists in Afghanistan have been fighting for women’s rights and freedom from all forms of violence. Now, as the world witnesses the Taliban regain control, women are at the risk of losing everything, including their lives.
VOICE stands in solidarity and deeply respects the work that women’s rights activists and human rights defenders have been doing in Afghanistan. Their response will center on the local Afghan activists who have been leading the way. They remain committed to centering women’s voices and needs in this moment of crisis and continue to honor the dignity of women activists’ lived realities and their relentless work in their communities.
They are providing support to our Afghan sisters in three ways:
1. Helping them find safe passage out of the crisis by staying in daily contact and following their lead.
2. Conducting women-centered security workshops for those who remain in the country.
3. Amplifying their voices in creative, safe, and dignified ways as they navigate new realities in a drastically shifted world.
VOICE needs your support to continue doing this critical work and provide immediate support to women activists and human rights defenders during this extraordinary time.
