MADRE

@madrespeaks

MADRE is advancing women’s human rights by meeting urgent needs and building lasting solutions defined by women and girls. MADRE.org

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MADRE@madrespeaks· 7d

The legacy of genocide is long-lasting, & for Indigenous Ixil communities in Guatemala, recovery is a key commitment. Since 2003, MUIXIL has worked to promote, sustain, and strengthen Indigenous culture, leadership, & economic stability for women & girls. https://www.madre.org/partner/muixil/

Indigenous Ixil women stand in a circle smiling at each other while doing an activity

Healing From a Legacy of Genocide

From processing trauma to preserving Indigenous traditions, MUIXIL is committed to improving the lives of Indigenous women and girls.

A woman hands a package to a younger woman.

Ending a Legacy of Violence

MUXIL is a grassroots women’s group that promotes political, economic, and cultural rights of Ixil Mayan and other Indigenous women in Guatemala, working to end a legacy of violence that has deeply affected their lives.

Indigenous Ixil women in the Quiché area endured 36 years of war, during which they were targeted with genocide, losing their homes and loved ones. Since 2003, MUIXIL has organized to improve the lives of Guatemalan women and girls by bringing them together for income- and skills-building projects and mutual support.

A group of women sit at a table reading documents.

Building Together

To address Indigenous women and girls' needs, MUIXIL partners with MADRE to build their skills, and help them exercise their human rights and grow as community leaders.

Women are provided training and support to run for political office, participate fully in the political system, and defend their values.

A young women and a girl weave together with wooden looms.

Protecting and Preserving Culture

Programs like MUIXIL's women’s weaving collective allow Ixil women to share traditional weaving practices with younger generations, strengthen the Ixil culture and community, and raise money to sustain their families.

MADRE@madrespeaks· 13d

When we ask, "Who gets to be free?" we interrogate systems that continue to threaten feminist human rights defenders with violence and withhold and exploit resources that keep environments from thriving. When we ask this question, we also think of Yanar. MADRE.org/YanarsFund

MADRE@madrespeaks· 15d

Despite intermittent access to humanitarian aid caused by Israeli blockades, our long-term relationships with local organizers and community members allow us to ensure we can deliver relief to Palestinians in Gaza. Peace cannot coexist with or grow from occupation. MADRE.org/Palestine

MADRE IN PALESTINE

Image of protestors

For years, MADRE has mobilized quickly to create networks with our local partners, including Middle East Children’s Alliance, the Culture and Free Thought Association, and Palestinian Medical Relief Society, to provide
Palestinians in Israel’s occupied territories with food, water, emergency medical care, and psychosocial support.

Image of a woman holding a baby in a medical bed overlapping an image of women in a room.

In the West Bank, due to Israeli military roadblocks and restrictions, Palestinians are barred from reaching hospitals, restricting accessibility to health and reproductive care, with people experiencing pregnancy being at most risk. MADRE supports a grassroots group of Palestinian and Israeli midwives in demanding an end to the occupation that prevents pregnant people from accessing essential health care.

Image of a woman with a megaphone in a field overlaps with background image of a destroyed building

Despite decades of the Israeli government’s violence and oppression, Palestinian communities have cared for each other and mobilized in nonviolent collective action, with women often playing critical leadership roles to support their families and communities. They became and still are the backbone fighting to protect their people, rights, humanity, and for the immediate end to Israel’s horrifying genocide and occupation.

Image of Palestinians behind barbed wire

“The failure to recognize the violent reality of living under siege, occupation, and apartheid makes no one safer. No person, no child anywhere should have to suffer or live in fear of violence. We cannot ignore the humanity in each other.” - Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib

MADRE@madrespeaks· 16d

Earlier this month, on the International Day for Criminal Justice, MADRE, @rawadari.bsky.social, Afghan LGBT, and other partners issued a joint statement calling for action on accountability for Afghanistan. Read the full statement: https://bit.ly/4fhxGWP

Call for Action on Accountability for Afghanistan

As we approach the fifth year of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, the international response to Afghanistan stands at a critical, defining crossroads.

Five years of gradual normalization of human rights abuses and a failure to enforce accountability have emboldened the Taliban, compounding the systemic oppression of Afghanistan’s women and girls.

Today, we call for an immediate and coordinated revival of international legal accountability to shatter the culture of impunity that shields the architects of the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis.

MADRE@madrespeaks· 19d

Continuing a long-standing commitment, MADRE works alongside grassroots organizers to safely amplify Afghan voices and to advance the rights and safety of women, girls, LGBTQIA+ communities, and those most at risk under Taliban rule. Learn more: MADRE.org/Afghanistan.

MADRE IN AFGHANISTAN

Image of an Afghan woman surrounded by supplies, holding a "Thank you MADRE" sign

When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in 2021, MADRE partnered with local grassroots organizers and tapped into long-held partnerships to help women and girls escape escalating violence. They established safehouses and delivered urgent supplies. These trusted connections ensured MADRE could continue to bring life-saving humanitarian relief to communities, especially during the earthquakes in 2022 and 2023, showing
the importance of community organizing in a crisis.

Image of Afghan women in a room

Building on this foundation, MADRE provided vital documentation, advocacy tools, and training to women’s and human rights defenders both within Afghanistan and among those forced to flee. Through international partnerships, MADRE amplified the voices of Afghan women and LGBTQIA+ people fighting for justice and building the infrastructure needed to hold perpetrators of gender-based violence accountable.

Image of women in a conference room with microphones

These systems, including MADRE’s Access to Justice Program and reporting on gender persecution crimes in Afghanistan, led to two major milestones. In 2024, Afghan women were able to directly share survivor experiences at the International Criminal Court (ICC), and in 2025, the ICC issued arrest warrants against two Taliban officials for their crimes against Afghan women, girls, and the LGBTQIA+ community, recognizing these crimes as crimes against humanity.

Image of Sign: "Gift from MADRE to the children & women of Bamyan Samar Orphanage"

To learn more about our work, visit MADRE.org/Afghanistan.

MADRE@madrespeaks· 21d

A new report, featuring contributions from MADRE, Afghan LGBT, and the Gender Persecution Working Group, provides recommendations to overturn a crisis depriving Afghan women and girls of their right to education and safety. Download your copy today. https://bit.ly/4gQ3lzF

2 Afghan women with supplies

"Risking a Generation of Illiteracy"

Nearly five years after the Taliban banned girls from secondary and higher education, the consequences extend far beyond the classroom.

Across Afghanistan, girls denied an education face increased risks of child marriage, labor exploitation, depression, and suicide. Years of conflict, economic collapse, and restrictions on learning have left students with minimal to no access to quality education, while marginalized communities face additional barriers to learning safely.

Yet amid these challenges, Afghan teachers, women human rights defenders, and local communities continue to resist by creating lifelines for students despite immense personal risk and limited resources.

MADRE@madrespeaks· 23d

The US war on terrorism did more damage to Afghan women's and girls' rights than its claim to protect them. As the crisis worsens and communities see a rollback to their human rights, the US has a responsibility to repair the harm it has exacerbated.

The US based its position on the war against terrorism on supporting women's and girls' rights. This scapegoating provided justification for destructive foreign policies.

In 2021, the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan, without consultation from Afghan civil society, left Afghan women and girls to fend for themselves as the Taliban rose back into power.

“For over two decades, U.S. policymakers have used women’s rights to justify perpetuating the war on Afghanistan—despite spending almost 1,000 times more on military expenditures than on promoting women’s rights and enabling the exclusion of Afghan women from peace negotiations.”

(Afghan Women Aren’t Liberated by Humanitarian Catastrophe by Jamila Afghani and Yifat Susskind, 2022)

“Now, in many of the provinces where the Taliban reigns, women are being killed, girls prevented from going to school, women barred from work, and women’s organizations have shuttered or gone underground.”

Without economic relief, the crisis is worse for Women, who are expected to be the main providers of food, medical well-being, and more for their families.

Yet as Afghan women and girls witness a rollback on their rights, feminist organizers continue to put their lives at risk against the Taliban, death threats, and more to advocate for women and girls.

(The Taliban Takes Power, After 20 Years of a Failed US War, 2021)

Now is the time to act.

It is imperative that the US and other countries choose to center, mobilize, and support Afghan feminist peacebuilders to:

safeguard women's and girls' rights
remove conflict from civilians' lives
protect Afghanistan’s future

This is the US duty and moral responsibility.

MADRE@madrespeaks· 23d

With the civil war in Sudan well into its third year, those across the Sudanese diaspora continue to demand #AllEyesOnSudan. We spoke with Fatima Ahmed, founder & president of Zenab for Women in Development, on the devastating injustices women, girls, & their communities face.

MADRE@madrespeaks· 28d

Sudan is experiencing one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises. On the tail-end of a movement fueled by women and their communities to secure true democracy, a civil war disrupted what many hoped would be the start of something better. Now, they call for #AllEyesOnSudan.

A woman holds a baby while looking at the viewer in a rural setting.

The War in Sudan in bold caps at the bottom.

Background is a field of a purple plant.

Text overlay: In 2019, the people of Sudan made history by ousting President Omar al-Bashir, who had held power for three decades, in a movement fostered by young women.

Civilians continued to work towards a democratic system in a joint military-civilian government.

(“Sudan War: A Simple Guide to What is Happening in Sudan,” 2025)

Background is a woman with a child in a wheelchair under a tent.

Text overlay: In 2021, Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, leader of the Sudanese army, and Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the RSF, staged another coup, destroying the progress towards democracy and placing Sudan under strict military rule.

The two leaders clashed in disagreement in disagreements, both wanting to keep their newly attained power and wealth—unable to move to a civilian government that truly supported the Sudanese people.

(“Sudan War: A Simple Guide to What is Happening in Sudan,” 2025)

A young girl stares at the viewer, arms crossed.

Text overlay: Sudan is currently trapped in an escalating civil war. This urgent crisis is tearing communities apart right now, with women, girls, and non-Arab communities facing extreme dangers: famine, violence, gender-based assaults, and even genocide.

The situation in Sudan is considered one of the
world’s largest
humanitarian crises.

(“Sudan War: A Simple Guide to What is Happening in Sudan,” 2025)

MADRE@madrespeaks· 29d

At the UN Security Council Open Debate on Conflict-Related Sexual Violence, Carine Jocelyn, Founder and Director of the Haitian Women’s Collective, discussed the systematic rape of women and girls in Haiti as survivors remain abandoned by an ineffective justice system. bit.ly/CarineJocelyn

Carine Jocelyn of Haitian Women's Collective addresses UN Security Council on women and girls rights in Haiti

https://www.womenpeacesecurity.org/resource/statement-carine-jocelyn-open-debate-conflict-related-sexual-violence/

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jul 9

43 years ago, MADRE’s founders saw firsthand the deep connections between injustice at home in the US and in Nicaragua on mothers, children, and communities, which fueled the commitment to address the impact of and pushback against harmful global institutions and policies.

Title: MADRE IN NICARAGUA

Black and white photo of a group of Nicaraguan children facing the viewer

Text: 43 years ago, a group of women from Nicaragua's national women's association and the Ministry of Health for the Autonomous Region of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua, invited women from the United States to see the harsh living realities of mothers, children, and communities under the opposition of right-wing contra militias, who were illegally trained and funded by the US.

Black and white photo of a Nicaraguan woman holding a baby, only her face appears in color.

“We wanted them to look into the eyes of mothers whose children had been killed by the contras and to turn that feeling into
action.”

Black white photo of three Nicaraguan children in a home. Clothes on hang line behind them.

Text: Inspired by the Women's Committees of Nicaragua, mothers, artists, teachers, political organizers, and more established MADRE to address the crisis in Nicaragua. MADRE’s founders saw firsthand the deep connections between injustice at home in the US and in Nicaragua, which fueled the response to address the impact of US foreign policy and the experiences communities faced under global authoritarian government structures.

Black and white blurred photo of a group of Nicaraguan children facing the viewer, only the boy in front is clear.

Text: The birth of MADRE grew into a global force, a holistic system centering inclusive feminist principles to push back against institutions and policies that perpetuate harm and violence. MADRE is a testament to women’s leadership and global solidarity, and we continue to work toward a more just world.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jul 7

With our July must-reads, learn from a wide range of global voices who present, question, and reimagine the experiences people face in oppressive systems, and how we can join movements to work against them and challenge US-centric narratives of collective freedom.

Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis

Through a series of essays, interviews, and speeches, Angela Y. Davis breaks down the intersections between oppression and violence in the United States and around the world, redfining what true liberation means.

War Against All Puerto Ricans by Nelson A. Denis

War Against All Puerto Ricans describes Puerto Rico’s revolution against the United States and examines Puerto Rico’s history, relationship, and struggles with the US through personal and secondary accounts.

All the Women in My Family Sing: Women Write the World—essays on Equality, Justice, and Freedom by Deborah Santana

This anthology documents the daily experiences of women of color, fostering cross-cultural understanding during the early 21st-century human rights and justice movements, capturing their resilience, creativity, and aspirations.

The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us at Home by William D. Hartung & Ben Freeman

The Trillion Dollar War Machine is an investigation into the Pentagon’s spending, America’s unequal wealth distribution, and who is pushing for and benefiting from war, and offers how we can shut down the war machine and restore security and prosperity.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jul 4

Today, the US celebrates its 250th anniversary, yet its legacy continues to attack domestic and international autonomy, rights, and independence, posing the question: Who truly gets to be free when the US controls and defines the narrative?

WHO GETS TO BE FREE? in bold letters on a ripped paper overlayed the US flag.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jul 2

Written by the Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic at CUNY Law, with contributions from MADRE, Afghan LGBT, and the Gender Persecution Working Group, this report examines Afghanistan's deepening humanitarian crisis under the Taliban’s discriminatory rule. https://bit.ly/4gQ3lzF

New Report by Human Rights and Gender Justice Clinic at CUNY Law, with contributions from MADRE, Afghan LGBT, and the Gender Persecution Working Group

"Risking a Generation of Illiteracy
Afghan's struggle for education and other rights in Afghanistan and as refugees"

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 30

For our final segment of #StoriesOfPride, actor, writer, & producer Aisha Jordan reads a submission from a partner in Kenya who shares their understanding of Pride & what liberation means for them. "It's about building networks that become families." https://youtu.be/QQSihNeRT4k

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 30

It’s the last day to join our Pride Month digital screening featuring Wanuri Kahiu’s ‘Rafiki”. If you watched the film, send the link to a friend and share a reflection in the comments below! Tell us what stood out to you the most. https://bit.ly/4ueDjt4

Kena and Ziki smile at each other with a pink neon light shining on their skin against a blurred background. "Last Day to Watch Rafiki, A film by Wanuri Kahiu" layered on top in bold text.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 26

This month, check out some of our recommendations for stories that amplify how women and girls are defying boundaries and changing lives. These stories highlight some of our organization's values. Share some feminist media that inspires you in the comments!

"I Am The Queen" by Henrique Cirne-Lima & Josue Pellot, movie cover and synopsis: Documented in 2011 in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood, “I Am The Queen” explores how three trans women navigate cultural heritage, personal identity, and family dynamics as they prepare for the Vida/SIDA Cacica Pageant.

"Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front" Lines by Alexis Pauline Gumbs, China Martens, and Mai'a Williams, book cover and synopsis: A multi-author anthology, “Revolutionary Mothering: Love on the Front Lines," explores mothering as a political act by centering the experiences of mothers of color and other marginalized mothers, framing their care as radical love and a path to collective liberation.

"Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir" by Akwaeke Emezi, Book cover and synopsis: Awaeke Emezi dives deeply into their metaphysical and lived experiences, intersecting queer realities, Igbo beliefs, and their spiritual identity in “Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir.”

"She Creates Change" by Nexus Studios, Film cover and synopsis: Directed by multiple women directors, “She Creates Change” amplifies the true stories of of six courageous young women to show girls that they too can create positive change in their own lives and communities.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 25

Read by our Managing Director of Organizational Development and Culture, Julia Parshall, the fourth #StoriesOfPride submission shares the challenges trans women face and offers advice on staying true to oneself and overcoming them. https://youtu.be/6NP1sCXVlWs?si=Fa_Tz3I7W8ryKyj9

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 24

Afghan Refugees, Mass Deportations, and Protection Obligations 25 June 2026 | 3:00 PM CET | 9:00 AM ET | 5:30 PM Kabul Time Join us to discuss recent deportations, protection risks for Afghan returnees, and the global responsibility to defend refugee rights. https://bit.ly/4xI3Xxv

Event flyer for "Afghan Refugees, Mass Deportations, and Protection Obligations"

Moderator: Meetra Qutb (Gender Persecution in Afghanistan Accountability Working Group)

Speakers:
Richard Bennett (UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan)

Khadija Haidary (Managing Editor of Zan Times)

Reshad Jalali (European Council on Refugees and Exiles)

Samira Hamidi (Amnesty International)

Dorothy Estrada-Tanck (UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls)

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 23

Our Sr. Director of Grantmaking, Compliance & Partnerships, Cassandra Atlas, reads another submission for #StoriesOfPride, in which the author sees liberation as an inclusive world that accepts, embraces, and protects LGBTQIA+ existence. https://youtu.be/h3KQyCqRC7I?si=5KA3aFFvcysAVI9m

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 23

ONE WEEK LEFT! Our Pride Month virtual screening is in its final week, and you can still discover the magic of Wanuri Kahiu’s film “Rafiki”, a romance between two young women amid social pressures in Kenya. https://kinema.com/events/MADRE-Speaks:-Stories-of-Pride-presents-%22Rafiki%22-6bp35f

Zoomed in frame of Ziki staring off in the distance with a smile. Kena, next to Ziki smiles down at her.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 19

MADRE is helping build systems that safeguard the rights and autonomy of women, girls, and gender-diverse people. For Laura Flanders & Friends, former Executive Director Yifat Susskind describes the impact of “gender ideology” on feminist movements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsPqvthZYxI

Center: cropped image of blue car on a street, decorated with pride flqag on the rear and side windows. The Ukraine flag stands on top of the car.

Background is three bars, light blue on the top and bottom and purple in the middle, with ripped paper elemets in the upper left and lower right corners. Text overlay: "The Harm of Using" is in the upper left corner, and "Gender Ideology" in bold caps aligned on the lower left corner.

“Gender ideology” is a term used by right-wing, conservative propaganda to alienate, undermine, and erase feminist and LGBTQIA+ movements.

It is primarily displayed in fallback legislation, harmful stereotypes, and false narratives escalating violence and restricting the rights of women, girls, and the LGBTQIA+ community around the world.

Text over ripped paper: The way that gender has functioned so far has been one of the most powerful tools of patriarchy, which is to keep women subservient, to say that there is no role in this world for people who are gender diverse or who have a sexual orientation that is not heteronormative.
- Yifat Susskind

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 18

It’s not too late to join our Pride Month digital screening of “Rafiki,” a film that showcases the wonders of Kena and Ziki’s blooming love as they navigate the dangers of queer expression in a conservative environment. Watch now: https://bit.ly/4ueDjt4

Zoomed in frame of Ziki smiling in a boat. Movie title "Rafiki" in bold pink text behind her head. "A film by Wanuri Kahiu" above movie title.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 17

When legal definitions are outdated or opaque, they uphold narrow conditions excluding entire groups from protection and recognition in oppressive systems. Learn more of the global movement pushing for language that safeguards the rights of all marginalized communities. https://bit.ly/422LEEm

Translucent and darken image of "Whites Only" business Sign.

Text on top: The current draft Crimes Against Humanity Treaty includes an opague defintion of “apartheid”.

Opaque definitions can exclude certain groups of victims, as their experiences may not be recognized by the current language or general connotations. This limitation restricts what acts are considered inhumane can discriminate against those affected, and leave many underrepresented in policy.

The current international definition of “apartheid” overlooks the full context of contemporary apartheid across the globe, including in Palestine and Afghanistan, or against specific groups like Black South African and Namibian women.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 16

Under Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act, LGBTQIA+ communities—especially trans people—face trauma, violence, discrimination, and a lack of resources to keep them safe. In response, the Trans Alliance Anna Foundation is building movements to protect their rights and livelihoods.

High transparent Illustration of four darkskin individuals posing together with large plant leaves behind against dark background with text: How does Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act further impact LGBTQIA+ communities?

LGBTQIA+ communities, especially trans people, are increasingly confronting homophobic violence and living with varied traumas.

Yet, people are organizing to ensure access to safe spaces and security. Organizations like the
Trans Alliance Anna Foundation
are taking action to protect trans lives.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 16

For our second episode of #StoriesOfPride, orion fleurs shares a Ugandan trans woman's story, describing their experience living between constant homophobia and the heavy toll it weighs on their mental, social, and physical wellbeing.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 11

Set in Nairobi, Wanuri Kahiu’s “Rafiki” tells the story of two young women coming into themselves and learning the possibilities of love, challenging Kenya’s long history of anti-LGBTQIA+ criminalization and violence. Join the official digital screening: https://bit.ly/4ueDjt4

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 11

On June 2nd, 47 Afghan and International organizations sent a joint letter to the European Commission, urging for the immediate halt of deportations to Afghanistan, citing concern about the increasing normalization of engagement with the Taliban.

Image shows a metal wheelbarrow stands in empty sand environment., darkened for text:

"On June 2nd, 47 Afghan and international organizations issued a public letter to the European Commission.

The letter called for an immediate halt to deportations to Afghanistan, as the increasing normalization of engagement between 20 European countries and the Taliban raises serious human rights and protection concerns.

Policies and relationships like this further cause harm and stigma around Afghan people and remove their voices from legal security."

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 9

With Palestine as a compass, Raise the Bar helps funders confront harmful practices, reckon with complicity, and take concrete steps toward solidarity, accountability, and justice-aligned funding. Learn more: www.raisethebarphilanthropy.org #RaisetheBarPhilanthropy

Funders4Palestine graphic promoting their latest resource, "Raise the Bar." The graphic reads: Raise the Bar challenges what philanthropy accepts as "good enough." Shifting toward justice and liberation means moving beyond small adjustments to fundamentally rethinking how funding relationships, decisions, and power operate.

MADRE@madrespeaks· Jun 8

For #StoriesOfPride, Co-Executive Director DeLisha Tapscott reads a submission from a network partner in Uganda, anonymized for her safety, as she shares the institutional failures and discrimination that impact her community’s safety and ability to thrive. https://youtu.be/kIFJtNPhVjs