Hami - Women Empowerment Organization
A Non-Profit “Women for Women” Organization based in Frankfurt am Main
Advocacy activities
15.09.2024: Hami receives important human rights award
Today “Hami, Women’s Empowerment Organization e.V.” received the 2024 Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation Human Rights Prize for our great and tireless work. (Gerhart Baum, a German politician and lawyer and former Federal Minister of the Interior, and his wife Renate Baum, who has run a foundation with the aim of democratic governance and social studies since 2007.)
The awards ceremony took place on September 15, 2024 at the Comedia Theater in Cologne, Germany and was hosted by television presenter Bettina Böttinger. The event began with an opening speech by Mr. and Mrs. Baum, followed by a sofa interview with Ms. Monika Hauser, the founder and managing director of medica mondiale, as well as the two board members of Hami, Ms. Basira Akbarzada and Ms. Saina Hamidi.
“This award has a special value because it is given to a group of women who, despite their displacement, want to continue to work for other women with energy and strength.”Said Basira Akbarzada.
The award was presented to the Hami activists by Gerhart Baum and his wife Renate Baum on stage. Masiha Fayez said on behalf of Hami: “Today is a special day for us. We are grateful for the recognition of our women’s rights work by the Baum Foundation. It is an honor for us to accept the Human Rights Award for 2024 from Mr. and Mrs. Baum. This award means we are not alone in our mission and fight for women’s rights.”
Wahida Mohammad Zai and Vida Faizi from Hami then thanked Hami with deep respect and, as a token of gratitude, presented a beautiful drawing showing the strength and pure Afghan culture, as well as a bouquet of flowers to the Baum Foundation.
Hami’s representative added: “In this special moment, we will never forget medica mondiale, the board members of medica Afghanistan and the colleagues who are still in Afghanistan or in other countries and are part of this success.”
The women of Hami presented flowers to Ms. Monika Hauser on behalf of medica mondiale and to Ms. Bele Grau and Ms. Sajia Behgam on behalf of the board members of medica Afghanistan, who are supporting us on this journey.
The entire Hami team celebrated the award together on stage. The event was accompanied by live music from Afghanistan and ended with a shared lunch.
This is a new beginning for Hami, and with a group of 30 legal and psychosocial experts, we continue our efforts for a better life for women, especially Afghan women, with even more strength.
We stand for equal rights based on social justice!
We fight for the implementation of women’s rights and the participation of women in all areas of life!
The members of Hami
Since her escape, Masiha Fayez has continued to work with the “Hami” association from Germany. Who is now receiving an important prize for human rights.
Three years ago, Masiha Fayez fled her country for a second time. The Afghan woman now lives in Rüsselsheim, thousands of kilometers away from her hometown of Kabul. But the women’s rights activist continues her mission here.
Last year she co-founded the association “Hami – Women Empowerment”, which also supports women with a migration background in Germany
in Afghanistan and in crisis areas.
Hami means support and protection. Good for women here, but even more important in Afghanistan, where Fayez has connections. Among the women who are losing one right after another under the Taliban regime, who are no longer allowed to work, who are forbidden from attending secondary schools and universities. Even her voice should no longer be heard in public. “These are things that drive us crazy,” says Fayez on the phone: “It’s getting harder for them every day
Women.” Your club tries to at least offer stress management online.
It is a commitment that is seen in Germany. The Gerhart and Renate Baum Foundation honored Hami with the Human Rights Prize on Sunday in Cologne. It is endowed with 10,000 euros, money that the club can probably put to good use.
Fayez knows only too well that women are at particular risk. She was born in Kabul in 1972. When the Mujahideen came to power in 1992 and Afghanistan collapsed into a brutal civil war, she was a young woman. “There were rapes, there were forced marriages, there was so much violence by the Mujahideen,” says Fayez. She fled her homeland for the first time; together with her mother, her two sisters and
She sought refuge with her brother in neighboring Pakistan, like millions of Afghans. She worked as a teacher and attended law courses. When the family returned in 2002, things didn’t get much easier. Fayez and her sisters had to wear a burqa; one sister often stumbled because she couldn’t cope with the garment that covered her body and face: “My mother and my grandmother had never worn a burqa, that’s why
We couldn’t handle it.”
According to the courts, domestic violence did not exist
Fayez continued on her way anyway. In 2003 she completed her studies in law and political science in Kabul, and in 2020 the mother of three children also completed a master’s degree in public administration there. A good basis for advancing women’s rights.
Even if the men were initially surprised when a woman represented other women in rape trials in court: “They didn’t believe that a woman could be raped.” When women in Afghanistan fled domestic violence, they were often thrown into custody
She was put in prison, reports Fayez, because you weren’t a good woman if you ran away from your own house.
Fayez worked for many years with the feminist women’s rights organization Medica Mondiale, at the time the only organization that employed women lawyers; she worked for the UN as a consultant on legislative and women’s issues; she was involved in the International Development Law Organization (IDLO). Step by step, Fayez and her fellow campaigners succeeded in asserting women’s rights. Lawyers were trained, rape cases were tried in court – not just through mediation: “I was very active.”
“Widows can’t even go to the doctor when they’re sick.”
When the Taliban invaded Kabul again in August 2021, this commitment became dangerous. The Taliban released all the prisoners, “they were marching around in the streets, that was a big risk for me. I was an activist.” And the regime is now undoing what Fayez fought for. The Ministry of Women – gone. Female judges lost their jobs because they allegedly did not know Sharia law. Women are only allowed to wear suitable clothes
traveling with a male companion. “Widows can’t even go to the doctor when they’re sick,” says Fayez. She fled a second time with her family, supported by Medica Mondiale:
“So I can continue my work.”
To do this, she continues her education and learns German.
15.08.2024: You are not alone - a dark day in the history of Afghanistan “
August 15th, 2021, a deeply painful and tragedy date for Afghans. Life in Afghanistan has gotten deteriorated for Afghans living under Taliban rule for the last three years, mostly for women, as rights for women have all vanished, the humanitarian crisis continues to increase, the ream of the girls for education and basic rights have been buried and Afghanistan remains essentially shut off from the international community. The current context caused profoundly changed the lives of many people in Afghanistan, and it is heartbreaking to know that thousands professionals and their families had to leave their homes and their loved ones behind.
Masiha Fayez, Hami Chairwoman says;” our 90 former colleagues with their families (286 in total) were evacuated to Germany by support of medica mondiale and start their life in a new environment which was not easy at all but with support of medica mondiale and obviously, was not easy for medica team as well and put great effort by working 24hrs to make it possible (Thank you so much medica mondiale). medica as a women rights organization has never left us alone in Germany and by their support 50 of us could completed a one year education program on family mediation, Social Work and Non- Profit Organization in Frankfurt Applied Science University. As a part of integration, we completed German language courses at different levels of B1, B2 and C1, our children including our daughters go to school and our family members who completed the criteria benefited from the education programs as well. For continuation of our women’s rights activities, we have established Hami, Women Empowerment Organization in Frankfurt am Main. Hami professional team is motivated to continue to their voluntary work and provide online psyche- social counseling, mediation and legal advice to Afghan women survivors of “S”GBV in Afghanistan and support women migrant and their families in Germany and advocating for women’s rights although having no fund and project.”
“After I came to Deutschland, I had many problems to adapt to the new environment, but gradually, life became easier. The thing that helped me the most was, i start think positively about the future, and I focus in learning the German language, my daughter goes to school and can make a good future for herself.
Although the pain of being away from my homeland and my loved ones is very hard for me, but now I think that if I were in Afghanistan, both I and my daughter would be deprived of our basic rights like thousands of Afghan girls and women.
Hami, Women empowerment Organization, established by the technical support of medica mondiale, it became like a hope and positive energy not only for me but for our group of 30 brave and professional Afghan women for a new life in exile. I see this organization as a great tool for empowering of Afghan women and girls. “Said Wahida Mohammadzai, Hami Chairwoman
Despite the exclusion of women from participating in political, social and economic activities and the ban for girls’ education, Afghan women have tried both inside and outside of Afghanistan and have never given in to despair.
“I currently live in Germany, although we lost our 20 years effort for women in Afghanistan , but here I was able to stand on my feet. Currently, I completed Family Mediation education program and learn German language, I live with my loved family in a separate apartment, my children go to school and my husband was a doctor and now works in hospital. I am committed to being the voice of Afghan women and girls who are deprived of education. ” Said Mariam Zalmai Hanafi Lawyer and Hami board member
The situation in Afghanistan remains uncertain and worrying for many people, especially women and girls, who have to live under extreme restrictions. We hope that the situation in Afghanistan will improve one day. With Solidarity!
“During this difficult time, we (Hami team) want to let you know that you are not alone. We are thinking of you every day, every moment and carry you in our heart. We know that circumstances may seem difficult and often hopeless, but please remember that you are strong. Your strength and courage carry hope for a better future. No matter how dark the days are, you are not forgotten. The world sees your fight and we stand with you, even when the distance is great. Stay strong and never give up. Your dreams, your rights and your dignity are inviolable, and no one can take away what shines in your hearts. We wish you peace, courage and the strength to carry on. You are valuable, you are important, and you are the true heroes of this time.” We proud of you, Afghan women. Hami board member
08.04.2024 Solidarity among women on International Women's Day
Hami board members (Masiha Fayez, Wahida Mohammadzai and Vida Faizi) and Dr.Monika Hauser (Founder of Medica Mondiale) met Mr.Gerhart Baum a German politician and lawyer and former Federal Minister of the interior and his wife Mrs.Renate Baum, who run a foundation since 2007 with the purpose of Democratic Governance and social studies, on 2nd of march 2024 for future cooperation and support of Hami.
On 8th March 2024 Hami members attended to the events on “The invisible struggle of the women in Afghanistan” organized in the occasion of Women International Day by Pro Asyl (Der Einzelfall Zählt), Hesischer Früchtingsrat (hfr) and Amnesty International in Frankfurt University of Applied Science.
The Program focused on:-
- Afghan women situation in Afghanistan and ongoing gender apartheid.
German Federal Admission programs für Afghans Human Rights Defenders.
Challenges of Pakistan’s Visa and security check by German Embassy inn Islamabad for those who have got admission by Federal Government in Pakistan and Iran.
The request of Afghan girls to have the chance to transfer them to Germany so that they can continue their education.
The program was followed by showing a film about Afghan women struggling for their rights under de facto in Afghanistan and arts form 10 strong women who played active role in the Afghan society, but all were killed by suicide attacks after August 2021.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower and support women and girls affected by traumatic experiences – regardless of their political, ethnic or religious affiliation.
Our services are aimed at migrant women and survivors of gender-based violence and their families in Germany, Afghanistan and other war and crisis zones.
Our Objectives:
- To strengthen the legal, health and psychosocial situation of migrants and their families in Germany
- To promote the social and professional integration of migrant women in Germany
- To promote assistance for politically, racially, or religiously persecuted women, for refugee women, for female displaced persons and victims of war in Afghanistan and other countries
- To promote the international spirit, tolerance in all areas of culture and the idea of international understanding
“Hami is the voice of women and families in Afghanistan and around the world.”
Masiha Fayez, Chairwoman of the Hami Board of Directors
Our Values
- We are women and work for women
- We stand up for equal rights on the basis of social justice
- We fight for the implementation of women’s rights and the participation of women in all areas of life
- We are experts in the field of health, legal and psychosocial support
- We recognize the intrinsic value and potential of women and work to remove barriers that hinder their progress
- We are agents of change
- We work with a low-threshold
- We are confident and trust in our strength
- We work transparently and responsibly
Hami – Women Empowerment Organization