Amina Azimi is an advocate for

disabled Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, se ...

women's rights Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

in Afghanistan. In 2012 she won the N-Peace Award.

Biography

Born in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

in the 1980s, Azimi lost her right leg at age 11 as a result of her home being hit by a rocket propelled grenade during the ongoing Afghan Civil War. Her injury put her in the large group of disabled Afghans in a country that has one of the highest percentages, by population, of disabled people in the world. As a disabled person, Azimi encountered problems returning to school and subsequently faced discrimination when she sought employment. Azimi became an advocate of for the rights of disabled women from Afghanistan. In 2007 she founded the ''Women with Disabilities Advocacy Committee'' (WAAC). She created the ''Empowering Women with Disabilities'' organization (EWD) in 2011. In 2012 Azimi was awarded the N-Peace Award as an '' Emerging Peace Champion''. Azimi advocated for elimination of discrimination against

landmine A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...

survivors as a presenter and journalist for a radio program called ''Qahir-e-Qahraman''. The program was first supported by

UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...

’s National Programme for Action on Disability, then the UN Mine Action Center for Afghanistan and

Internews Internews Network, now Internews, is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in California, formed in 1982. It was founded by David M. Hoffman, Kim Spencer, and Evelyn Messinger. The president and CEO is Jeanne Bourgault. Internews Europe is an in ...

. She works for ''Afghan Landmine Survivors' Organisation'' (ALSO).

References

External links

Amina Azimi wins the N-Peace Awards 2012: Afghanistan
YouTube video {{DEFAULTSORT:Azimi, Amina Living people Date of birth missing (living people) 21st-century Afghan women Afghan women activists Year of birth missing (living people) Afghan disability rights activists