Through our ‘All Rise’ project, we will help Afghan women lawyers and judges to heal from the trauma of having to flee their home country. 

In a country that is the second most hostile for women in the world, these brave human rights defenders battled against the odds to study at university and chose careers where they would face hostility, death threats and violence in their efforts to make the world a more just and equal place for all.

Through their lives they have fought for a better world. They used every resource at their disposal to bring justice, fight for the rights of the oppressed, and combat violence. They prosecuted members of the Taliban.

When the Taliban regained control of the country in autumn 2021, the very real fear of retribution meant they were forced to leave everything they knew to seek safety wherever they could find it around the world.

To this end, nearly 200 women and their families were evacuated with help from the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute and other organisations. The departure was deeply terrifying, with uncertain escape routes, the constant fear of capture and unknown dangers lying ahead.

Many are still being housed in temporary hotel accommodation and are fighting legal battles to remain in the UK.

As well as legal battles, these displaced women are plagued with anxiety about their friends and colleagues who are still in Afghanistan. Concern for their safety is a huge mental burden.

In short, the trauma of their experiences cannot be underestimated.

TTI’s former vice-chair, Garden Court Chambers barrister Irena Sabic, discusses the remarkable emotional strength of the Afghan women in our short video BELOW:

Through our All Rise Crowdfunder appeals, we have raised more than £60,000 to offer 200 women urgent mental health support.

This support will include PTSD treatment, therapy and counselling, with the aim of giving the women the confidence and hope they need to forge new, fulfilling lives for themselves.

There is also an urgent need to support the professionals involved in the evacuation and resettlement of these families. The staff at the International Bar Association's Human Rights Institute, Last Rights and Garden Court Chambers, along with their partner law firms, have been working on these exceptional cases for more than a year.

Their intense workloads are compounded by the emotional and heart-breaking realities of what the Afghan women have been through. The UK teams have been exposed to highly traumatic content, case studies and evidence of torture, rape and psychological violence.

We are committed to supporting these staff members to avoid or overcome stress, burnout and vicarious trauma. We must protect their wellbeing to enable them to do their incredible work safely and effectively.

Our co-ordinated support for these partner organisations will comprise training and peer-to-peer support. This will help them to build trauma-informed knowledge and practice into their work.

In addition, we aim to provide trauma support to those hosting the displaced Afghan women and their families. By doing so, the hosts will be given the tools they need to best help their house guests, and look after their own mental health at the same time.