Don’t Forget Us”: Afghan Refugee Nila Ibrahim’s Emotional Plea for Afghan Girls

“Don’t Forget Us”: Afghan Refugee Nila Ibrahim’s Emotional Plea for Afghan Girls

Seventeen-year-old Afghan refugee Nila Ibrahim has launched a heartfelt initiative to amplify the voices of Afghan girls deprived of their right to education. Now living in Canada, Nila has created a website aimed not just at sharing the struggles of Afghan women but also at encouraging the global youth, particularly Generation Z, to empathize and connect with their stories.

“I want to portray Afghan girls as real and relatable as possible so that young people, especially Gen Z, can see their reflections in them,” Nila shared during an interview.

Recognition for Advocacy

Last week, Nila received the prestigious International Children’s Peace Prize, an honor previously awarded to renowned figures like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg. The award recognizes her groundbreaking efforts to promote women’s rights and education in Afghanistan.

HerStory: A Platform for Afghan Voices

Earlier this year, Nila launched HerStory, a website providing Afghan women and girls a platform to narrate their experiences in their own voices. Through this initiative, she aims to bridge the gap between Afghanistan and the rest of the world by showcasing the challenges and resilience of Afghan refugees and citizens.

“Afghanistan and Canada feel worlds apart, which makes connecting the two difficult,” said Nila. “Our mission is to focus on shared humanity rather than differences.”

She emphasized the importance of recognizing commonalities across cultures, saying, “We often fixate on what divides us, but we need to highlight what unites us. That’s what we aim to do.”

A Legacy of Activism

Nila’s activism began in 2021 when she shared a video protesting the ban on female singers performing publicly in Kabul. It was then she realized the power of art and protest as tools for change.

Through HerStory, she shares firsthand accounts of Afghan struggles, from girls banned from classrooms to women forced to flee for their safety.

A Global Call to Action

With her work, Nila hopes to raise global awareness about the plight, resilience, and untapped potential of Afghan girls. Her message, “Don’t forget us,” resonates deeply, urging the world to remember those left behind in the shadows of injustice.

“This award is an opportunity to remind the world about Afghan girls,” Nila stated. “It’s a platform to amplify their voices and highlight their struggles.”

Through her tireless advocacy, Nila Ibrahim is not just documenting the stories of Afghan girls; she is helping ensure that their voices reach the global stage, calling for a world where every girl has the right to learn, dream, and thrive.