The withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan has been completed, as per the roadmap announced by President Joe Biden months ago, in the wake of the agreements signed with the Taliban in Doha in early 2020 by then President Donald Trump. Afghanistan, we can say, simplifying, from our comfortable Western world, plunges back into the nightmare of dictatorship and violence against civilians. The Taliban have categorically ruled out that democracy is a suitable form of government for the countrybut they also hinted, almost promised, that they want peace for all Afghans and that some concessions will be made to women. All statements that are very difficult to verify, but the information arriving these days does not bode well for all the inhabitants of the country who are not on good terms with the Taliban and in particular, we repeat, for women of all ages.
Everyone can (perhaps must) do their part
What can we Westerners do? As journalists, very little, also because fewer and fewer reporters and photographers have found a way – in fact at their own risk – to stay in Kabul or in other cities in Afghanistan. As citizens, we can identify people or organizations that are still present in the country or who have proven ways to help. Think first of all of Alberto Cairo, which every day on Repubblica publishes its own Diary from Kabul: the “snapshots” of the head of the physical rehabilitation program of International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan they are worth at least as much as the long reports built, certainly with difficulty, by the envoys, but in neighboring countries. Cairo has been in Afghanistan since 1990 and has declared that it will not move from Kabul.
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The initiatives of fashion companies
As in past years, when it seemed that some women’s liberation processes had at least started, many Italian companies have decided to support and even multiply their efforts. Since yesterday in the Coin shops, the most widespread Italian chain of department stores, a fundraiser is being promoted in favor of Afghan women. Furthermore, for each purchase made on the e-boutique www.coin.it, Coin will donate one euro to the Pangea Onlus Foundation, which has been operating in Afghanistan since 2003 with the aim of making women the pivot of society’s development, to give concrete help and not to forget all the Afghan women and their children. Yamamay has chosen a partnership with UNHCR and “converted” the campaign to celebrate the brand’s 20 years into an awareness campaign on what is happening in Afghanistan.
Gagliardi (Coin): “Always alongside women”
«Coin is always on the side of women, we cannot afford to stand and watch helplessly what is happening in Afghanistan – explains Monica Gagliardi, Coin’s marketing and digital transformation director -. With a call to action to all our customers and our commitment we intend to help support Pangea’s activities in Afghanistan and to ensure that the good that has been achieved over the years is not lost thanks to the will of courageous women who have tried with all their strength to change their world. After Petalo Bianco, the anti-violence counter that Coin launched last spring that will develop further in the coming months – added Monica Gagliardi – with the support of Pangea we want to continue to stand by the women who are facing personal or social emergency situations. “
Yamamay’s commitment
The underwear and beachwear brand and company founded in 2001 by Gianluigi Cimmino, has decided to replace the communication campaign planned for the 20-year anniversary with an awareness and fundraising campaign called “For women, with women” . Yamamay also joined the UNHCR (UN refugee agency) to give concrete support to the Afghan people, to help provide basic necessities and life-saving goods, hygiene and health kits. Specifically Yamamay will support il programma dell’Unhacr “Welcome. Working for refugee integration”, a long-term program that fosters the integration of refugees and refugees into the labor market. In fact, Yamamay will offer a group of refugees the opportunity to undertake a career path within the company and its stores in the coming months.