THE former captain of the Afghanistan ladies football team will urge delegates at a Belfast-streamed conference next month to “become a voice for our voiceless women”.
Khalida Popal, who was forced to flee her home country in 2011 at the age of 24 in fear of her life because of her role in establishing the national team, is among a line-up of stellar speakers at the Institute of Directors (IoD) Women’s Leadership Conference taking place online on March 9 and 11.
The conference, now in its 15th year, is sponsored by Herbert Smith Freehills and the Irish News, and will see hundreds of delegates log on to hear from numerous inspiring women who are each contributing to real and innovative change within their respective areas.
Speaking to the Irish News from her home in Denmark, where she now works as commercial football coordinator at FC Nordsjælland and is a brand ambassador for the Hummel sports range, Khalida says her message to conference delegates will be about empowering women, but will focus heavily on the existing problems within Afghanistan.
“Just this morning, driving to work, I was again struck by the fact that so many young people in my country, all with dreams and hopes, have had everything taken from them, and it's so hugely emotional for me,” she said.
“People, girls, are prisoners in their own homes. It's so sad that we are living in 2022 and this is still happening. People are still being denied the opportunity to practice their basic human right.
“Half the population is deactivated now, isolated and ignored.
“It's difficult to see a solution right now. All the young generation studied and tried their best. Mothers wanted to ensure their daughters could get an education and have access to basic human rights, but now it's all been taken from them.
“It's difficult to be optimistic about the future. People are being shot, killed, being kidnapped and tortured - especially those who are activist, journalists, musicians or sportspeople. This group is creating a lot of fear for the regime, and it's so difficult to see how we can save them from Taliban hands.
“We're talking about human beings stuck in the hand of a group that has no mercy for humanity. The regime is killing and creating fear.”
Khalida, who still have relatives in the country, overcame significant opposition before she founded the Afghan women’s football team in 2007.
She then went on to captain the team and later became the first woman to be employed by the Afghanistan Football Federation, initially as finance officer, then as director of the country's fledgling Women’s Football Committee.
Despite going into exile in 2011, she remained connected to her country and is involved in many activities supporting and helping projects which helps women in terms of healthy lifestyle and sports.
Khalida - who has gone to establish the Girl Power Organisation, which uses the power of sport to support refugees, migrants and immigrants, added: “I played as a defender, when my role was to defend my team. But today, I am a defender of human rights, and this is my role to advocate for human rights by using the power of my voice and platform.”
:: For further details about the conference and to book a place, visit www.iod.com/ni.
