Dear All,
The Empowering Afghan Girls and Young Women Speech Competition 2026, organized in partnership with Afghans for Progressive Thinking (APT), provides Afghan girls and young women with a platform to share their perspectives and speak about social issues they care about.
It is our pleasure to introduce the third panel of judges for our speech competition. Our judges come from all around the globe consisting of prominent Afghan changemakers, essay judges, debate coaches, teachers, and experienced debaters.
Ms. Kwatia is a law graduate, socio-legal writer and Founder and Executive Director of the Kwatia Literacy Guild, where she promotes writing, critical thinking and civic participation among young people. Her work reflects a strong interest in using writing and advocacy to engage with social issues and amplify young voices.
She served as a judge for The Queen’s Commonwealth Writing Competition 2025 and 2026, organized by the Royal Commonwealth Society, where she received the Valued Judge Award, and continues to support initiatives that develop young people’s writing, communication and critical-thinking skills.
2. Zheela Noori
Ms. Noori is an accomplished journalist and international broadcaster at Voice of America with over 20 years of experience in U.S. and international journalism, producing more than 600 original stories that have reached millions of viewers. Her reporting spans women’s rights, human rights, technology, and conflict zones, including Afghanistan. She has conducted high-profile interviews with former U.S. First Lady Laura Bush, senior members of Congress, and leading international experts.
Beyond journalism, she has collaborated with international organizations and relief agencies in Afghanistan, combining her reporting expertise with a strong commitment to women’s rights and human rights.
We would like to express our gratitude to all our judges for their continued support in this competition.
Warm regards,
Empowering Afghan Girls & Young Women Through Debate
(An initiative of Vietnam Public Forum Academy)
and Afghans for Progressive Thinking (APT)
