Basbibi Kakar

Collaborators


Basbibi Kakar is from Nangarhar, Afghanistan and recently completed her master's degree in International Affairs at Columbia University, with a concentration in Economic and Political Development and specialization in International Conflict Resolution. She has diverse experiences working in the international development sector in both the U.S. and Afghanistan.

Ms. Kakar worked as an Organizing and Advocacy Intern with the Immigrant Rights Program at the American Friends Service Committee. She assisted the detention and deportation teams with conducting research and creating surveys for fellow organizations to collect information and to get feedback. It helped AFSC find out how organization have responded and changed the discourse about racial inequality, injustice against black lives, and other marginalized groups in the wake of Black Live Matter Movement and after the death of George Floyd.

Ms Kakar also worked as a Generalist and as a woman in Leadership Fellow at the International House, organizing monthly Ice-Cream socials for 700 residents, coordinated with guest speakers for regular monthly events. She also worked as a finance and operations intern at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, providing administrative support which included assistance in preparation of their annual budget. She also worked at the Malala Fund, as the Girl's Advocacy Intern. In this position, she assisted the operations team with grants management, supported the logistics and travels for the Heads of the Commonwealth meeting in London, and helped teams in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Turkey, India and Nigeria with planning and management of their projects. In addition, her professional history also includes positions such as assistant head of school at the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA).

Ms. Kakar is highly motivated and organized, and a quick learner. She has helped to develop the leadership skills of young Afghan, and refugee women to be future leaders, and is passionate about their role in development, education and reproductive health and their rights.

Why is gender violence rarely if ever targeted with effective countermeasures such as UN sanctions resolutions or other powerful policy and development decisions?