In this episode of Agents of the Matriarchy, Paula and Raheel talk about growing up in Pakistan, what's happening to women and girls in Afghanistan, and why Raheel stays optimistic after decades of doing this work. Her answer: lead with love, collect the small wins, and remember that courage is the currency of reform.

Plus, a rapid-fire round, 50 years of marriage, and what Raheel thinks The 49%'s next film should be.

Learn more:
Raheel Raza: RaheelRaza.com
The 49%: the49percent.org & @the49percent

Listen and subscribe:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5AoR3NqJ5kyImPUwYvsYaJ?si=9311c0e25ed741cf
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/agents-of-the-matriarchy/id6810856396
YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdjwW64XnzqA&si=ScSOFt25R2qcDgaQ

At just 16 years old, Jasvinder Sanghera escaped a forced marriage.

Today, she is a British author, activist, grandmother, and the founder of Karma Nirvana, the charity supporting victims of honor-based abuse and forced marriage. But it wasn't an easy journey.

In this episode of Agents of the Matriarchy, host Paula Kweskin sits down with Dame Jasvinder to talk about child marriage, being disowned as a child, what she lost and what she gained by leaving, and how she turned her story into a lifeline for others.

Show notes:
Karma Nirvana: https://karmanirvana.org.uk/
The 49%: https://www.the49percent.org/

One Sunday morning in August 2021, Zahra Joya was at her desk in Kabul. By that afternoon, she had lost her freedom.

In our very first episode of Agents of the Matriarchy, host Paula Kweskin sits down with Zahra, an Afghan journalist, women's rights activist, and editor-in-chief of Rukhshana Media, the outlet giving voice to women and girls in Afghanistan. Now based in London, Zahra still leads a team of women journalists reporting undercover from inside the country.

Zahra shares how she went from law student to journalist, what it felt like to watch her world collapse overnight, the Taliban's escalating restrictions on women, and how she was airlifted out of Kabul while her parents were left behind.

Most of all, this is a conversation about why what's happening in Afghanistan is gender apartheid, why it matters to women everywhere, and how each of us can help keep Afghan women in the headlines.

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Show Notes:

• Pre-order Zahra's Book, The Vanishing Girl of Kabul, out on October 6th: https://a.co/d/0feYRJYV
• Read articles on Rukhshana Media: https://rukhshana.com/en/
• Watch our film, Samira's Camera: https://bit.ly/samirascamera

On this show, Paula sits down with the women actually doing the work: leading the fight for global women's rights, challenging the status quo, and building toward something more equal. These are the conversations that usually happen behind closed doors, now open to everyone.

Expect real complexity, real nuance, and plenty of laughs along the way.

🎙️ First episode drops September 29th.

Learn more: http://agentsofthematriarchy.com
Follow along: @the49percent