Executive Director of DROPS, Mariam Safi addresses the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Ordinary meeting ICM, European Parliament.
2025-03-06 09:00 - 12:30 (Europe/Brussels) | European Parliament, József Antall building (JAN), Brussels, Belgium
On Thursday, 6 March 2025, to mark International Women’s Day, the FEMM Committee, in collaboration with the Directorate for Relations with National Parliaments, hosted an inter-parliamentary committee meeting on “Strengthening the Women, Peace and Security Agenda – Upholding Women’s Rights in Defence, Security and Peacebuilding.” The event highlighted the importance of ensuring women’s full participation in decision-making processes, particularly in the areas of Defence, security, and peacebuilding, where their leadership fosters more inclusive and lasting peace. It also emphasized the need to protect women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings from trafficking, exploitation, and sexual violence. High-level representatives from EU institutions, Member States, the European Parliament, and national parliaments engaged in discussions on combating inequalities and empowering future generations.
Please watch here: Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Ordinary meeting ICM – Multimedia Centre

Afghanistan After August 2021: Appraisal and Way Forward
2025-03-12 10:00 - 11:30 (America/New_York) | NYU SPS Building, 7 EAST 12th Street, Room-321, New York, NY, United States
Join Us for the Launch of the 8th Volume of DROPS Women and Public Policy Journal [2022-2023]
The fall of Afghanistan’s democratic state in August 2021 marked a devastating turning point for Afghan women and girls. In a matter of months, decades of hard-won progress were reversed, ushering in an era of gender apartheid under Taliban rule. Women have been systematically erased from public life—banned from secondary education, barred from employment, restricted from leaving home without a male chaperone, and silenced in public spaces.
Before this crisis, Afghan women were at the forefront of change—leading in governance, civil society, media, and the economy. Their voices shaped peace negotiations and helped rebuild national institutions. Now, just two years later, that progress is under dire threat.
Organizers: Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS) & New York University, Center for Global Affairs.

The New Reality: How Taliban Policies are Reshaping Afghan Society and Women's Lives
2025-03-12 13:00 - 14:45 (America/New_York) | The Permanent Mission of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, 315 East 46th Street, New York, NY, 10017, United States
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghan women and girls have faced unprecedented restrictions, especially in education. With secondary schools closed and universities off-limits, many families are left with no choice but to turn to madrassas for their daughters’ learning.
At this CSW69 side-event, co-hosted by DROPS, the Permanent Missions of the UAE, Norway, and UK, and UN Women, we will explore how these policies are reshaping Afghan society, how Afghan women are navigating the challenges, and the duty of the international community in demanding and defending their rights, amplifying their voices, and pushing for concrete action.
Please register here: https://cstu.io/87cc48
