ECHO finalist Husna Jalal: We need to look past our differences
Every year, the ECHO Award is presented to students from non-western backgrounds who are committed to social improvement in the field of diversity and inclusion. One of this year's finalists is Leiden alumna Husna Jalal, who works for Afghan women's rights with her organization the Young Afghan Women’s Movement.
Jalal is Afghan and she fled to the Netherlands when the Taliban seized power in August 2021. ‘Once the Taliban regained power, women were banned from pursuing an education,’ Jalal says. 'When I arrived in the Netherlands, I realised that I had to take the opportunity to study here to hone my skills and knowledge so that I can do more for girls and women in Afghanistan. So I started studying the Master's in Global Conflict of the Modern Era.'
Young Afghan Womens Movement
After arriving in the Netherlands, Jalal founded the Young Afghan Women’s Movement, with the aim of supporting women in Afghanistan, but she also focuses on the issue of diaspora. She wants to give Afghan women around the world the opportunity for education and equality. ‘With this organisation, I want to build a transnational community of Afghan women, where they can find each other not only for support and solidarity, but also to exchange knowledge with one another.’
While studying in Leiden, Jalal also founded the non-profit Women for Change International. 'When I started here, my thoughts and my heart were in Afghanistan and I was constantly preoccupied with what was happening there. It took a while before I could accept that I might have to stay longer in the Netherlands,' Jalal explains. 'That's why I also decided to get involved to improve the situation of women here and in other parts of the world. With the non-profit, I hope to empower young people from refugee backgrounds and women from non-western backgrounds, among others, regardless of where they are from.'
Diversity and tenacity
One of the ways Jalal wants to achieve all this is by working with people from all different backgrounds. 'During my studies, I helped organise several panel discussions in which we talked to foreign policymakers about how their policies affect women's rights. Many different methods and approaches emerged from the discussions. I also spoke to other experts who have direct experience of these issues. I hope that by taking all these diverse ideas together, I can help create a better world.'
Jalal also knows it will be a long haul to make it all happen. ‘I do as much as I can to keep the lack of international women's rights in the spotlight,’ she says. 'A lot of my activism I have done through the media, but their attention comes and goes. With my initiatives, I hope to make that attention more permanent. For instance, I’m currently writing a book on the situation of young women in Afghanistan. I’m aiming it towards the Dutch population, because I want to make them more aware of what is happening in Afghanistan and how we can do something about it together.'