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Farida-Afridi-1Farida Afridi, women's rights advocate murdered on the way to her office, 4th July 2012, following threats related to her work.

Taliban Targeting women: Malala - Not the First...

Source: The Express Tribune | Asad Zia

PESHAWAR: The attack on a 14-year-old girl shook the nation, but Malala Yousafzai is not the first female to be targeted by the Taliban.

The ruthless militants have previously targeted and killed two women from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

Related Article: Pakistan: Confronting Extremism - Farida Afridi & Malala

Female empowerment

Earlier this year, on July 4th, militants killed Khyber Agency-based social worker Farida Afridi. Her crime, purportedly, was to be an agent of change in the conservative tribal agency.

Afridi was among two of the founding members of a local organisation, Society for Appraisal and Women Empowerment in Rural Areas (Sawera).

She was on her way to her office in the Hayatabad locality of Peshawar, from her hometown Ghundi village in Jamrud tehsil of Khyber Agency, when militants opened fire, killing her on the spot.

Related Article: The Loss of Farida Afridi, murdered in Pakistan

Moral policing

The Taliban’s first female victim was Shabnam, from the courtesans’ quarters in Swat’s capital Mingora.

When she refused to bow down to moral policing, some militants dragged her out of home and shot her dead in the Green Chowk of Mingora.

The square later earned notoriety for executions and beheadings during the Taliban reign in Swat.

Related Article: Farida Afridi: Paying the Ultimate Price for the Women of Pakistan

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Statement of NGOs

Statement on the Safety of Women Human Rights Defenders

Women human rights defenders are especially vulnerable and can be in extreme danger due to gender-related targeting.
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PETITIONS

Protect Women Human Rights Defenders in Pakistan especially in FATA

Farida-petition

Ms. Farida Afridi, a 25 year old woman human rights defender was ambushed and shot dead outside her residence in Hayatabad, Khyber Agency, FATA, on July 4th 2012.

It is evident from news reports that she was killed because she was a woman human rights defender, working with her NGO for the welfare of tribal women.

Petition to demand that FATA policy-makers take measures to prevent criminals from terrorizing NGO workers.

Free Nasrin Sotoudeh, Human Rights Lawyer in prison in Iran

Nasrin-petition

"The world should know that all she has done is to earn this punishment is support her clients...
If any government can block the power of a human rights attorney, its hands are free to treat its critics and opponents in any manner it desires"
Reza Khandan, husband of Nasrin Sotoudeh

Petition to demand immediate and unconditional release of Nasrin Sotoudeh and all other women's rights activists, journalists and political prisoners who are unjustly detained in Iran.