The HAMRAH Initiative is proud to celebrate Pashtana Durrani, Founder and Executive Director of LEARN Afghan, winning of Amnesty International USA’s Ginetta Sagan Award – an annual award which recognises women’s courage, leadership, and commitment to human rights.

This award is not only a tribute to Pashtana’s work; it reflects the resilience of every Afghan girl who continues to learn in secret, every teacher who shows up despite risk, and every woman who refuses to surrender her future under Taliban rule.

In Afghanistan today, education is far more than a classroom activity — it is an act of resistance, protection, and hope. Under a regime that has closed most formal spaces for girls’ learning, LEARN Afghan continues to defy the bans by running community-led schools, online classes, and remote learning initiatives across the country.

As Pashtana reflected:

“This award belongs to every LEARN teacher and every girl who continues to learn despite the bans.”

Her words capture the spirit of a generation determined to claim its right to learn — even in the face of repression.

LEARN Afghan’s alternative education model has become a lifeline for thousands of girls who otherwise would be denied any form of schooling. Through digital lessons, volunteer-led classes, and community networks, Pashtana and her team have shown that learning will always find a way.

Their work represents the courage and ingenuity of Afghan civil society — refusing silence, creating alternatives, and protecting a future that others have tried to close off.