One Afghan Sportswoman’s Fight Against Gender Apartheid | Farkhunda Muhtaj | One Young World

As the Afghanistan Women’s national team Captain and a Fortuna Sittard player in the Dutch Eredivisie, Farkhunda has used her position to advocate for women's rights, both on and off the field.

In 2021, Farkhunda made international headlines when she evacuated over 300 Afghans, including the Youth National Team and Football Federation Staff, from Afghanistan to Portugal after the Taliban’s rise to power.

Beyond football, Farkhunda is the co-founder of Scarborough Simbas, a non-profit helping refugees and newcomers ease into Canadian society through sport. She also serves as the Director of Culture and Conscience at Respect Group, a humanitarian ambassador for Penny Appeal Canada and UNHCR Netherlands, and a global ambassador for WomenforWomen International.

Her incredible work has earned her several awards, including the World Football Summit Positive Impact Award and the Women Who Inspire Award.

Watch her speech to learn about her journey ⚽

Chapters:

00:00 - 01:30 - How my parents rebuilt a life as refugees from Afghanistan.
01:31 - 02:47 - What's it like to be an Afghanistan women’s football team player?
02:48 - 03:55 - The Scarborough Simbas: using football to heal refugee families.
03:56 - 05:07 - How I evacuated the Afghan women’s team after the Taliban seized Afghanistan.
05:17-06:42 - Founding the unofficial Afghan Youth National Football Team.

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