Bakhtari Advocates for Afghan Women in Strasbourg
Manizha Bakhtari, Afghanistan's ambassador and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna.@Manizha Bakhtari Facebook page
As international attention increasingly shifts away from Afghanistan, Manizha Bakhtari, Afghanistan’s ambassador and permanent representative to international organizations in Vienna, continues to use diplomatic and cultural platforms to highlight the plight of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule.
During a series of events in Strasbourg, France, on the 6th of October, Bakhtari met local and European officials, participated in diplomatic discussions, and attended screenings of the documentary The Last Ambassador, all aimed at drawing attention to what she described as Afghanistan’s ongoing human rights crisis.
One of her key engagements was a meeting with Catherine Trautmann, Mayor of Strasbourg and President of the Eurométropole of Strasbourg, and Hervé Moritz, Deputy Mayor responsible for international relations. Discussions focused on the worsening situation of women and girls in Afghanistan, including restrictions on education, employment, and participation in public life.
Bakhtari emphasized the importance of keeping Afghanistan’s human rights situation on the international agenda and sustaining support for Afghan women and girls. The meeting also addressed challenges facing the Afghan diaspora community in Strasbourg, including integration, social inclusion, and the treatment of asylum seekers.
Beyond official diplomacy, cultural diplomacy also played a central role in her visit.
The documentary The Last Ambassador, which chronicles Bakhtari’s efforts to represent Afghanistan internationally following the Taliban’s return to power on the 15th of August, 2021, was screened both at the Council of Europe and at Le Cosmos cinema in Strasbourg. The screenings brought together diplomats, civil society representatives, women’s rights advocates, and members of the Afghan diaspora community.
The film tells the story of an ambassador who continues to advocate for Afghan people, particularly women and girls, despite political, financial, and diplomatic challenges that emerged after August 2021.
At the Council of Europe screening, opening remarks were delivered by Martin Bott, Austria’s Ambassador to the Council of Europe, and Petra Bayr, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). A discussion moderated by Claudia Reinprecht, Austria’s Consul General in Strasbourg, followed the screening, allowing participants to reflect on the realities facing Afghan women and the challenges of representing Afghanistan on the international stage.
Bakhtari also met diplomats from European Union delegations and the Council of Europe during a separate gathering hosted by the Austrian Consulate General in Strasbourg. Discussions focused on restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls, the need for sustained diplomatic engagement, and the role of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in maintaining international attention on the country.
Throughout the events, a common message emerged: while Afghanistan may have faded from the headlines, the country’s human rights crisis continues.
By combining diplomacy, public dialogue, and documentary storytelling, Bakhtari’s visit to Strasbourg sought to keep Afghanistan visible in international forums and remind policymakers that millions of Afghan women and girls remain excluded from education, employment, and public life.
Bakhtari’s message was clear: Afghan women and girls cannot be allowed to become forgotten victims of a forgotten crisis.
