Amina Azimi

Amina is an advocate for the rights of disabled women from Afghanistan. She was just 11 years old when she lost her right leg as a result of a rocket-propelled grenade that crashed into her home and exploded in Kabul. Now she works to challenge the discrimination that she faced and that impedes the participation of other disabled individuals in her community.

Amina’s family cared for her during her recovery but feared for her safety once she left the family home. Becoming frustrated with the discrimination she was exposed to by her community, in 2007 Amina founded the Women with Disabilities Advocacy Committee (WAAC). The organisation focuses on advocating for the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls with disabilities in alignment with the National Disability Law, which is currently under formulation. In this role, Amina provided peer to peer counseling for hundreds of women and girls in similar positions.

In 2011, Amina created the Empowering Women with Disabilities organisation (EWD) and started training over 4000 women with disabilities and their families. She also works for the Afghan Landmine Survivors’ Organisation (ALSO), a grassroots organisation that supports the rights of disabled and disadvantaged people.

For six years, Amina reached out to other disabled Afghan women and children via the Qahir-e-Qahraman, a radio initiative created to spread her message about the rights and needs of people with disabilities. However, due to lack of funding, the radio programme was cut. Now Amina continues to work as the project manager for ALSO as well as working directly with other women with disabilities in Afghanistan and other neighbouring countries affected by conflict.

You can follow Amina on Facebook.