The Wilson Center hosted Hassina Sherjan, Founder and CEO of Aid Afghanistan for Education, and owner and CEO of the Boumi Company, for a discussion on how to protect women's rights and education in Afghanistan following the draw down of American troops in 2014.
Sherjan has decades of experience working with girls' education in Afghanistan. During the years of Taliban rule, she opened underground schools so that girls could continue to be educated despite the Taliban declaring it illegal.
During the discussion, she addressed the recent shooting of a Pakistani girl who is a vocal advocate for girls' education. The Taliban has claimed responsibility for the shooting and has said it will target the girl again if she survives her injuries. The girl, Malala Yousufzai, is being treated at a hospital in England and is expected to live.