From the Fall of Kabul to the Fall of 2026: The Evacuation and Settlement of High-risk Afghan Women
On August 15, 2021, the Taliban took Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, while western countries prepared to abandon the country. Those who worked for the rights of women—whose voices were courageously raised, and whose identities were frequently known by the Taliban, were in grave danger. Laura Robinson worked with a team formed by Senator Marilou McPhedran and contacted the former captain of the AFG women’s soccer team—Khalida Popal, FIFA, and NGOs. Overnight they formed an evacuation plan for women soccer players and athletes. Lawyer/soccer player Shima Karimi was one of the women they were able to evacuate. Here’s their story…
Shima Karimi holds a Bachelor of Laws degree and a Master’s degree in International Relations from Afghanistan, and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Carleton University. A lawyer, former athlete, and dedicated human rights and women’s rights activist, she was evacuated from Kabul in 2021 through the extraordinary efforts of human rights advocates, including Laura Robinson and Hon. Senator Marilou McPhedran. She continues to actively advocate for women’s rights, gender justice, and migration governance through her research and community engagement in Canada.
Laura Robinson is an investigative journalist, former national team cyclist, and Canadian champion in rowing (1979). In 1992, her article in The Toronto Star, Sexual Assault: Sports’ Dirty Little Secret, was the first investigation of abuse in Canadian sport. In 1998, McClelland & Stewart published her book, Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canadian Sport (updated version coming in 2027). Laura has written six books on sports issues and has covered all summer Olympics from 1996 to 2012. She has coached the Elementary School Mountain Bike and Cross-country Ski Team of the Nawash First Nation at Chippewa for 20 years.
In 2011, the Union of Ontario Indians awarded Laura the Debwewin Citation for her investigation into the lack of Indigenous athletes on Canada’s Olympic Team. In 2012, Laura received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from York University for her advocacy on equity in sport. In 2019, Senator Marilou McPhedran, whose work focuses on justice and equity, invited Laura Robinson to advise her office as an expert consultant on safe sports. They were working together on August 15, 2021, when the Taliban returned to Afghanistan.
SAVE THE DATE: Hear their stories: Wednesday September 16, 2026, 7pm at UUFO.
