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Nilofar Moradi, a journalist and activist, fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took over, losing everything she worked for in her fight for Afghan women’s rights.

Featured in the documentary An Unfinished Journey, she continues her advocacy in Canada. Nilofar believes that if the world turns a blind eye to Afghanistan, the Taliban's ideology could spread to other countries, including Canada.

Let’s unite, amplify her voice, and stand up for the rights of Afghan women.

A Journey from Myanmar to Global Advocacy for Women and Democracy

By Isabella Aung

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Traditionally, Myanmar’s political and community leaders have been overwhelmingly male, a gender disparity that persists in both the Burmese and ethnic minority communities. People would say things like, “Politics is not for women. Let men do the leading,” or, “No man likes a smart woman. You won’t find a husband if you’re too ambitious.” Some even said, “It’s impossible for an ethnic minority woman to become a leader. You’ll either be jailed or killed.” Nevertheless, I persisted.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to migrate to the United States as a young teen. My aunts and uncles, who had fled Myanmar after 1988—some as refugees—became American citizens and sponsored my family to join them. I stuck to the decision I made at nine and majored in International Relations in university. My honors thesis explored the intersection of women’s rights and religion in Myanmar. In 2017, I moved to Canada to pursue a master’s degree in political science. I am now a PhD candidate in Political Studies at Queen’s University, and my dissertation focuses on how contemporary authoritarianism in Myanmar is both contested and sustained through social media, and how this process is gendered. I also serve as the Head of the Comparative Politics Diploma Program at Spring University Myanmar, an institution providing online higher education for refugee and internally displaced youth affected by war and political violence.

I would not be where I am today without the support of family members who believed in my dreams, even when those dreams were considered too big for a Mon-Karen girl by many. I aim to provide the same kind of support to ethnic minority women and girls in Myanmar. Dream big and believe that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Ethnic minority women are worthy, intelligent, and capable of achieving great things.