Afghan women in Pakistan and Afghanistan are living under relentless pressure.

Those who speak up have been targeted for speaking up, teaching, organizing, or defending the rights of women and girls. Some have faced threats, arrest, torture, forced displacement, and the daily fear that their lives can shrink even further at any moment.

HeartWork previously supported the relocation of Afghan women at risk. But as security conditions worsened, it became impossible to continue supporting the full original group through direct evacuation and local operations. The people we had worked with locally faced serious danger, and increased surveillance made safe on-the-ground work far more difficult.

In January 2026, we shifted our focus.

Today, HeartWork supports Afghan women in Pakistan and Afghanistan through online trauma resilience and personal leadership training. We use a train-the-trainer model, so women who complete the training can pass these tools on to others. In this way, support continues to spread, even when direct operations are no longer safely possible.

This work helps women find steadiness in the middle of fear. It helps them regulate stress, soften the grip of the inner critic, reconnect with their own strength, and build the inner leadership needed to keep going.

We are still trying to find ways to become operational on the ground again. But for now, this training is one of the most practical and meaningful ways we can stand with women who have been left behind.

Why this matters

These women are not only fighting to survive.

They are fighting not to disappear inside the pressure. Not to lose themselves to fear. Not to let trauma make their world smaller and smaller.

This training offers practical tools they can use in daily life:

• calming the body when fear rises
• breathing and grounding before reacting
• working with the inner critic
• strengthening self-trust
• reconnecting with inner calm and clarity
• supporting other women with greater presence and resilience

And because the model is train-the-trainer, the impact reaches beyond each individual participant.

What HeartWork is doing now

Since January 2026, HeartWork has focused on what is still possible, safe, and scalable:

• online trauma resilience training
• personal leadership development
• train-the-trainer certification
• peer-to-peer sharing of practices and tools

This means that women are not only supported themselves, but can also become a source of strength for others in their communities.

What the data shows

The impact data shows a clear pattern: women are feeling stronger, calmer, and more able to meet life with steadiness.

Based on 20 participant responses:

• confidence and calm increased by an average of 0.61 points on a 1 to 5 scale
• self-compassion increased by 0.55 points
• inner critic management increased by 0.50 points

These are not abstract gains. They reflect women becoming more able to face daily pressure with inner strength.

Voices from the training

“My confidence has become stronger and I love myself more. I now know that under every condition I need to keep kindness and inner calm.”

                                                       -Wazhma

“Since the training began, many changes have happened in me. I feel like a stronger person and feel more able to face life’s problems.”

                                                       -Zohra

“This training helped me understand who I am and develop a deeper awareness of myself and my personality.”

                                                      -Samia

Why we need support now

We are asking for support for work that is already reaching women under extreme pressure. Work that helps them steady themselves, reconnect with who they are, and support others too.

Because safe local operations are currently so difficult, this training is one of the strongest ways we can continue to stand with Afghan women in Pakistan and Afghanistan right now.

For now, we ask our supporters to support this training.

You can help

Please support HeartWork’s trauma resilience and personal leadership training for Afghan women in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Your contribution helps women:

• build resilience in the face of trauma and uncertainty
• strengthen leadership and self-trust
• use practical tools in daily life
• pass these methods on to other women through train-the-trainer support

Donate here:
https://heartwork.earth/peacework/

Please also share this petition with others who care about human dignity, women’s leadership, and the future of Afghanistan.

Footnote 2:
This petition has evolved in response to changing realities. It originally focused on urgent international action to protect Afghan women at risk of deportation and persecution. HeartWork previously supported relocation efforts for 60 Afghan women at risk, but as security conditions worsened and local partners faced severe danger under increased surveillance and protection risks, direct operations became much more difficult. Since December 2025, HeartWork has focused on supporting women who were left behind in Pakistan and Afghanistan through online trauma resilience and personal leadership training, using a train-the-trainer model to extend the impact. If safe on-the-ground operations become possible again, this petition will be updated.

Footnote 1:
This petition originally addressed the Dutch government. As deportations in Pakistan became imminent, our appeal shifted to Pakistani authorities, pleading for more time. Now, with a breakthrough from Brazil, we focus on funding resettlement and sustaining global pressure. The mission remains: to protect these women and their families and help them live in freedom.