The fall of Afghanistan was on the minds of those who joined our Innovations in International Philanthropy Symposium session on women and girls. Our conversation was a primer in effective networking strategies to support women and girls in a time of complex emergency.

Earlier, Malala Yousafzai had given a keynote address, and her presence reminded us of her fearless advocacy for women’s rights in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

What now for women and girls in Afghanistan with the Taliban takeover, we asked?

Some thirty of us gathered online for this session from diverse geographies, perspectives, and experiences. We discussed the last time the Taliban was in power, where women paid a profound price. Women’s rights were decimated, including their participation in the workforce. Women were not allowed to work, and they had to be accompanied by a male relative if they left the house. Girls’ education was banned. For now, it seems the situation will be like that of 20 years ago. What might our philanthropic community do in response?

We were a diverse group of people working in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East. Our focus included issues traversing disability rights, trafficking, girls’ education, and women’s political voice. We exercised deep listening in our session and shared thoughtful comments about addressing mental health issues for those experiencing trauma.

Several of us spoke about sustaining women’s organisations and networks, as they are essential to hold ground on rights secured, and because these networks are trusted sources of support, knowledge, and relationships for many Afghan women. We recognised the critical importance of supporting women’s safety and security, livelihoods, and leadership within Afghanistan and for women who are refugees in new countries.

We discussed the necessity of providing psycho-social support during emergencies. We agreed it was critical to provide this support – including to at-risk Afghan women who had managed to escape the country and were now coming to terms with the trauma of their experience and the uncertainty of what their lives held for the time ahead.  This is where the power of networks plays a role. Trusted women’s networks in transit and destination countries can provide psycho-social support and solidarity to Afghan women. Again, these networks need to have access to core funds to sustain their operations and services.

We kept returning to this point about investing in the power of women’s networks inside Afghanistan and for Afghan women refugees.

We recognised that networking between donors and philanthropists would be vital in the time ahead to sustain the safety and security of women journalists, human rights defenders, and peacemakers.

Read the full article about supporting women and girls in Afghanistan by Jane Sloane at The Philanthropic Initiative.