Rangina Hamidi served as the last woman Minister of Education in Afghanistan until the return of the Taliban in August 2021. Concerned about the future of her 12-year-old daughter, Minister Hamidi left Afghanistan 8 days after the fall of Kabul, when all other leaders had left by Aug. 15.
Courageous and outspoken, she continues her humanitarian efforts in support of the education of girls and work of women. She is the co-author of Embroidering within Boundaries: Afghan Women Creating a Future, the winner of the Silver Medal in the Multicultural Category of the IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards. The book tells the story of the entrepreneurial spirit and the embroidery social enterprise, Kandahar Treasure, that Minister Hamidi founded to assist women working within the cultural boundaries of Pashtunwali to earn a living and find a degree of self-determination in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The handcrafting of these exquisite tapestries, created by over 120 Afghan women, continues today and speaks not only to the beauty, talent, struggle and resilience of Afghan women but also to the leadership possibilities of women and girls throughout the world if given the right tools.
The 2023 ADEA Tapestry Table® features a talk show format in which Minister Hamidi and ADEA’s Chief Diversity Officer, Dr. Sonya Smith, discuss Minster Hamidi’s life, the importance of the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals (UN SDGs) on gender equality and quality education goals, and how investing in these goals for women and girls as a collective global strategic priority are the keys to unlocking other key UN SDGs, such as good health and wellbeing; eradicating poverty; reducing inequality; and securing peace, justice and inclusive institutions. Discussions will also include the critical need to develop programs for women and girls to ensure that more women leaders serve as key decisionmakers in areas such as global health and education. The audience will also have the opportunity to purchase copies of Embroidering within Boundaries with proceeds going to support Kandahar Treasure, the Afghan women’s artisan social enterprise.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the challenges faced by women and girls in Afghanistan and similarly situated war-torn countries and the role of education and entrepreneurship in overcoming these challenges.
Discuss the gender equality (Goal 5) and quality education (Goal 4) UN SDGs and their vital connection to achieving other UN SDG goals.
Explain why it is important for a critical mass of women to serve in key global health and global education decision making roles.
