AFGHANISTAN: Afghan Woman Announced as a Winner of the 2013 N-Peace Awards

Afghan women's rights advocate Masouda Karokhi was announced as one of the eight winners of the 2013 N-Peace Awards, the N-Peace Network announced on their Facebook site today. According to their website, the N-Peace initiative and the Awards campaign are managed by the UNDP Asia Pacific Regional Center (APRC). “The awards recognize and profile women leaders and peace builders creating change at the grassroots to national levels in Asia.” “Even during the worst times for women in Afghanistan, Masuada Karokhi remained an unwavering activist for women's rights”, the organization has posted on their website. Despite receiving death threats from extremists, Masuada Karokhi continued her work for the advancement of Afghan women's rights, even providing secret classes for poor girls and women during the rule of the Taliban. “Not one to mince her words, she has spoken out against ‘the culture of fraud and electoral abuse', the lack of implementation of the Constitution, and political violence against women”, the organization added. Karokhi and other 7 were chosen out of 90 nominated candidates from Afghanistan, Indonesia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste and the Philippines. The award will be officially given to Karokhi in a special ceremony scheduled for October of this year.