Zohra Wanda has been selected as Afghanistan’s youth representative to the United Nations for the 2026–2027 term following a competitive selection process, according to the organisation Afghans for Progressive Thinking.
The organisation said Wanda will be responsible for bringing the views, demands and concerns of Afghanistan’s younger generation, particularly young women, to international forums.
The result was announced on Friday, 15 Aqrab, during an official ceremony at the United Nations Palace in Geneva. Four finalists, selected from hundreds of applicants, presented their programmes and perspectives in five-minute speeches before answering questions from the judging panel.
The panel included Soraya Dalil, Afghanistan’s former public health minister; Heather Barr, associate director of the Women’s Rights Division at Human Rights Watch; Atifa Tayeb, an education policy specialist; Hamira Razaee, chief executive of the Bridge for Education Afghanistan organisation; and Ajmal Ramyar, head of the organising body.
Afghans for Progressive Thinking said Wanda will engage with young people inside and outside Afghanistan and raise their concerns in discussions with the United Nations and the European Union. Promoting girls’ right to education and women’s rights were identified as key priorities of her mandate.
The Afghanistan Youth Representative Programme was established by the organisation in 2018 to provide a channel through which the concerns of the country’s younger generation could reach international discussions.
Wanda’s selection comes as the Taliban continue to impose restrictions on girls’ education, women’s employment and their participation in public and social life. These restrictions have sharply limited opportunities for Afghan women and girls to participate in many areas of society.
The appointment offers a platform for raising young Afghans’ concerns internationally. However, the extent to which those demands translate into policy discussions or concrete action will depend on the programme’s engagement with international institutions and the response of decision-makers.
