Ambassador Soroosh spoke at the event co-hosted by the University Women Helping Afghan Women (UWHAW), the Right to Learn Afghanistan, and the Carleton University Afghan Students’ Association
Ottawa: On January 24, 2026, an event was co-hosted at Carleton University by the University Women Helping Afghan Women (UWHAW), the Right to Learn Afghanistan, and the Carleton University Afghan Students’ Association to commemorate the International Day of Education and to express solidarity with Afghan women and girls. The gathering brought together diplomats, advocates, students, and members of the academic community to highlight the urgent educational and human rights crisis facing women and girls in Afghanistan.
Ambassador Hassan Soroosh, along with other distinguished speakers, addressed the multiple dimensions of gender apartheid in Afghanistan, with particular emphasis on the increasingly severe restrictions imposed on girls’ access to education, underscoring their profound and long-term consequences on the lives of women and girls, as well as on the social, economic, and political future of the country as a whole.
The speakers further stressed the critical importance of sustained collective action by the international community, including the need for stronger accountability mechanisms and increased support for women-led initiatives. Special attention was given to the role of online and alternative education programs as vital lifelines for girls in Afghanistan.
In his remarks, Ambassador Soroosh expressed deep gratitude to the Government of Canada and to friends of Afghanistan across the country for their continued commitment and principled engagement in support of Afghan women and girls.
Published in: News
Last modified on Saturday, 07/02/2026
