Afghan Women's Rights - A lived experience
May 26, 2022
Mashal Roshan. UTA TIEC Fellow for Afghan Refugees
Afghan Women's Rights - A lived experience

Roshan Mashal is an intellectual woman meanwhile a defender of women’s rights in Afghanistan. She was born in Kabul and graduated from the  at Kabul University. She always made an effort to achieve social services and do prominent activities for the women to reflect the women in society. She always remained a committed woman and could prepare the ground for implementing humanitarian projects due to her efforts and perseverance. She worked as a women’s activist and advocate.

She believes that working together can eliminate all the disarrangements and end the back warded society; according to her, the only way to reach a destination is to work tirelessly. Like the other Afghan women, she also migrated; she continued teaching Afghan girls Students in Peshawar, Pakistan. Then, she returned to her homeland during the Taliban’s first period and started hidden teaching for Afghan girls in her home.

She served in radio and news agencies. Her interest in women’s participation in social affairs encouraged her to join the Afghan Women’s Network in 2010. She worked in AWN as a Networking Manager, Advocacy manager, and Deputy director. At the same time, she served as a member of the board of   Afghanistan Mechanism for Inclusive Peace ( AMIP), CAWC (Central Afghanistan Welfare Committee), NAWA (The New Afghanistan Women Association), Empowerment Center for Women ( ECW), Center for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalist ( CPAWJ),  Afghanistan Mechanism for Inclusive Peace ( AMIP) and ANEC( Afghanistan National Education Coalition). Also, she is a member of the Women’s Network of MENA and Southeast Asia (IFC). She was a technical committee member for the 1325 National Action Plan for Afghanistan. During these years, she implemented many programs for mobilization of women, capacity building, advocacy, and created opportunities for women.  Mrs. Roshan Mashal is pleased, and she commits to serving women through her job, which has direct relationships with all women around the country. She recently joined as visiting scholar and fellow at UTA Gender and Women Study Program. 

She was awarded by the Afghan Women’s Network, Women's Regional Network, Kabul Municipality, Ministry of Economy, and PSSWDO (Peace Stability and Social Welfare Development Organization). 

Mashal is receiving an Advocacy Award for Exceptional Service from Refugees International on May 11th, alongside Hillary Clinton. Advocacy Awards: Afghanistan — Refugees International

During her years of struggle as a women's rights activist, she attempted to establish coordination between the women in the capital and provinces to stabilize women’s status in the social and political structure of the country.

Mashal traveled to foreign countries and participated in various national programs that were interfaces between the Network and its members.

She is a mother and performs her responsibilities toward her children reasonably. She strongly believes in women’s progress and considers opportunities essential for meeting the objectives.