HerStory – the website which grew out of this thought – started in 2023. It features interviews and first person accounts from both refugees and women inside Afghanistan.
The idea is to create a safe space where a group of people who “grew up with the stories of the first period of Taliban and how horrible the lives of women were at the time” share their stories – and their “shock and anger” at finding themselves in an increasingly similar situation.
The anger is a feeling Nila tries to keep separate from her work.
“When you see Afghanistan going back in time in 20 years, of course it makes you fear,” she says.
“It’s a shared feeling. It’s a shared experience for girls anywhere.”
The award, she says, is a chance for Afghan girls to once again remind the world about the restrictions they face on a daily basis – a reminder “not to forget Afghan girls”.
Marc Dullaert, founder of the KidsRights Foundation, which runs the award, pointed out that a “staggering” number of young women were currently being excluded from education.
“Nila’s inspirational work to provide them with a voice that will be heard across the world makes her a truly worthy winner of this year’s 20th International Peace Prize,” he added.
It is also a reminder that her generation – while young – can make a difference, Nila hopes.
“I think so many times when we talk about issues and different causes, we talk about it with the very adult like approach of oh, this is very serious,” she says.
“The world is a very scary place, but there is an approach that is more Gen Z-like… and we can take little steps and… do whatever we can.”
