Q: What does Empowering Women mean to you? Empowering women means creating the conditions that allow women to make independent choices, have equal access to opportunities, and participate fully in all aspects of society—economically, politically, socially, and personally. It’s about removing barriers—both visible and invisible—that limit women’s potential, and fostering environments where women are respected, heard, and supported. In particular, empowering Afghan women holds deep...

Q: What does Empowering Women mean to you? Empowering women is about creating pathways for women to step into their full potential, especially in spaces where leadership hasn't traditionally looked like them. It’s not just about representation, but about voice, influence, and impact. To me, empowerment is two-fold: it’s systemic and it’s personal. Systemically, it means changing cultures and policies to promote equity and inclusion. Personally, it means building up other women—sharing...

The Invitation Charli Matthews sent me a text in February that stopped me in my tracks:“ I was wondering, if I go back to Africa, would you want to come with me?” I reread it a dozen times before replying in about two seconds with a confirmation. Two months later—after a teensy passport mix-up, a round of vaccinations, and a lot of prayers mostly focused on surviving two back-to-back nine-hour flights without facing claustrophobia-induced anxiety diarrhea—I was on my way. Facing the Unknown...