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The Afghan Dreamers Robotics Team -- Roya Mahboob and Somaya Faruqi

The Strategerist Podcast

In the years after the fall of the Taliban in Afghanistan, women made tremendous gains in the country. In particular, they were able to be educated and become leaders in fields like engineering, as Somaya Faruqi and Roya Mahboob did. The Afghan Girls Robotics Team, founded by Roya and captained by Somaya, even stepped up during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic to make low-cost ventilators out of car parts to help fill a desperate need in their country.

Roya and Somaya were able to escape Afghanistan before the Taliban returned to power and once again took rights away from women in the country. This Human Rights Day, we celebrate the brave women who show the world their courage, heart, and brilliant minds despite the obstacles placed in their way.


 

Hosted by
Learn more about Andrew Kaufmann.
Andrew Kaufmann
Director, Communications and Marketing
George W. Bush Presidential Center
Learn more about Natalie Gonnella-Platts.
Natalie Gonnella-Platts
Director, Global Policy
George W. Bush Institute