Avenger of the Week | Fatima Ahmadi

Policewoman Fatima Ahmadi embodies the word ‘resilience’. Forced to marry an abusive husband at age 12, Fatima eventually joined the police force, a career which gave her the strength and confidence she needed to divorce her husband and start a new life as a single mother. Fatima again showed resilience and strength when she used her voice to call out sexual harassment in the police force and the interior ministry of Afghanistan, even as her family accused her of shaming their name and the torrent of online abuse pushed her into temporary exile. 

Source: Handout

Now, Fatima is forcibly exhibiting extraordinary resilience once again under the new Taliban regime. When the bodies of other policewomen began turning up around Afghanistan, Fatima knew her career put her on a dangerous path, but when the Taliban came to her door, she realized just how serious the threat to her life had become. The group demanded that she hand over her weapons and ransacked her house even as she emphatically insisted she had no weapons in her home. After they came up empty-handed, the Taliban then beat Fatima and threatened the lives of her children.

When the Taliban left her home with a promise of returning, Fatima and her family went into hiding and fled to Pakistan. She is currently awaiting refugee status so that her children’s safety is guaranteed in Pakistan.  

Inspired by her courage in the face of extreme adversity, we see Fatima Ahmadi’s commitment to truth and justice as clearly as we see the uniform on her back and honor her as the Avenger of the Week.

Does Fatima’s story inspire you? Then we encourage you to read more stories of Afghan women and girls fighting to be heard. Check out Associate Director of Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch Heather Barr’s writings on the current situation in Afghanistan to learn more.

As Afghan women and girls continue their fight to be heard, this week we honor Fatima Ahmadi as the #GenderAvenger #AvengerOfTheWeek for her courage to stand in truth during unspeakable times.