The Feminist Files

On today’s episode, Asha Metcalfe and Rosie Hillary speak to Sveto Muhammad Ishoq, a women’s rights advocate, TEDx Speaker, and social enterprise founder who works to empower Afghan women economically and amplify their voices on the global stage. We discuss how media representations of Afghan women distort the reality of their experience, and unpack the importance of Sveto’s own project Chadari, which aims to reframe the hijab narrative. Sveto emphasises the importance of speaking and listening to Afghan women to reframe biased narratives. We explore the connection between peace and education, and discuss the importance of Afghan women-led peacekeeping from the diaspora. We consider the strength and agency of Afghan women both in Afghanistan, and among the diaspora despite Taliban rule. We conclude by discussing recommendations for the international community to ensure support for women’s rights in Afghanistan is led by grassroots organisations and centres Afghan women themselves.Find Sveto’s work listed below:Chadari Project https://www.instagram.com/chadariproject/?hl=en Building Peace from Afar: Women-Led Peacekeeping from the Diaspora:https://digital.sandiego.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1116&context=ipj-research Sveto’s TEDxLSE Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/sveto_muhammad_ishoq_the_untold_truth_about_afghan_womenOrganisations mentioned in the episode:Aseel app: https://aseelapp.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoph9RqPXg8NyjUTJUVAP_DbH4qvl9L8-vdjvHvroPTXx9W8cdWiLearn afghanistan: https://learnafghan.org/Muska app: https://www.muska-app.com/  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Feminist Files, Helena and Astrid are joined by Delphine O, the former French Ambassador and Secretary General of the 4th Conference on Feminist Foreign Policies. They explored Delphine O's exceptional career trajectory as the first person ever to lead and represent France's feminist diplomacy in multilateral and bilateral relations. She gave them insights into the inner workings of the French foreign ministry, international feminist collaboration, and critiques of feminist diplomacy. They also discussed the unique challenges and structures of the growing transnational backlash movements, as well as the tools feminist diplomacy has to combat them. For any comments or suggestions, please get in touch via [email protected] or on Instagram: @the_feminist_files_ CreditsHosted by Helena Kondak and Astrid Healy-CarrascoJoined by Delphine OEdited by Rowan BerkleyCover design by Madeleine BaberMusic by Jacob Carey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Feminist Files, Helena sits down with Dr Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou, President of GREVIO: the Council of Europe’s independent monitoring body for the Istanbul Convention. As the leading mechanism ensuring that states uphold their commitments to combat violence against women and domestic violence, GREVIO occupies a crucial role. President Kostopoulou give her insights on how GREVIO evaluates states, issues recommendations, and navigates political resistance. The conversation explores the deeper philosophical and political stakes of justice. Drawing on her powerful insight that “justice can become blind to truth when it does not consider emotions,” Dr Kostopoulou explains why listening to victims, beyond case files and formal procedures, is essential to achieving real accountability.Helena and Dr Kostopoulou also unpack some of the most pressing challenges facing gender equality today:The backlash against the Istanbul Convention, including controversies such as Latvia’s attempted withdrawalThe rise of reactionary and anti-gender ideologies across EuropeThe growing threat of cyberviolence and online misogynyPersistent barriers to justice, from underfunded systems to widespread impunityFor any comments or suggestions, please get in touch via [email protected] or on Instagram : @the_feminist_files_ CreditsHosted by Helena KondakJoined by Maria-Andriani Kostopoulou,Edited by Rowan BerkleyCover design by Madeleine BaberMusic by Jacob Carey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Rosie Hillary and Sophie Biancelli are joined by Rida Fatima, an intersectional feminist writer currently working at the Asian University for Women. Together, they discuss both the Rohingya crisis and Taliban rule in Afghanistan from an intersectional feminist perspective, questioning Western assumptions about what it means to be a refugee and a woman in the Global South. They focus on the opportunities which education can offer the women who are most affected by these these crises, particularly those living in refugee camps today.To read more of Rida's work, follow the links below!https://dirtychai.substack.com/https://www.instagram.com/ridax16/https://clandestinemagazine.com/the-rohingya-crisis-from-my-bedroom/Follow The Feminist Files on instagram:https://www.instagram.com/the_feminist_files_/ Follow The Feminist Files Substack:https://substack.com/@thefeministfiles Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Dr. Elly Hanson and CASE