On 30 October 2025, the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva, with the support of the Canton of Geneva, and in partnership with the International Gender Champions (IGC), UN Women, and the Permanent Missions of Afghanistan, Chile, Iceland, Luxembourg, and Spain, hosted a powerful event titled Defying Erasure: Afghan Women’s Pursuit for Justice.
The event featured the screening of an extract from the award-winning documentary The Sharp Edge of Peace, followed by a panel discussion with Afghan women leaders and international experts. The film highlights the role of four courageous Afghan women peace negotiators who participated in the 2021 Doha Peace Talks and their determination to ensure that women’s voices remain central in shaping their country’s future.
In his welcoming remarks, H.E. Peter MacDougall, Permanent Representative of Canada, complimented the courage of women in Afghanistan, and highlighted the Government of Canada’s continued investment in accountability and justice mechanisms for Afghan women. He was followed by H.E. Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan, who reaffirmed that no peace could exist in Afghanistan without the equal participation of women.
The documentary’s co-producer Alka Sadat introduced the film, sharing her personal experience as an Afghan filmmaker and artist.
During the discussion, panellists Fawzia Koofi, former Afghan Member of Parliament and women’s rights advocate, and Fatima Amiri, girls’ education activist, shared their personal experiences of life under the Taliban rule, as well as insights on the resilience of Afghan women and their struggle for justice. Dr. Amrita Kapur, Secretary General of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), highlighted the importance of the newly established Human Rights Council accountability mechanism for Afghanistan.
Moderated by Leslie Thomas, producer of the film, the conversation emphasized the critical role of women’s inclusion in governance and peacebuilding, especially as the world marks the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security.
Speakers underscored the struggle for women negotiators to be seen as equals during peace negotiations, the violent nature of the Taliban’s active suppression of women’s rights to access education, and the creative resilience of Afghan women to continue seeking to assert their human rights. Speakers called for support by the international community in international processes against the Taliban, and continuing to centre women’s voices in conversations about Afghanistan.
In her closing remarks, H.E. Claudia Fuentes Julio, Permanent Representative of Chile, stressed that The Sharp Edge of Peace was an act of resistance, recording the courage, hope and strength of its protagonists. She echoed that no peace can be legitimate if women are exempted from peace negotiations.
The event concluded with a reception, offering participants an opportunity to reflect and exchange on Geneva’s role in advocating for Afghan Women's fundamental rights and representation on the international stage.