KABUL - Two Afghan women, Mariam Durrani and Hassina Neekzad, were among the ten peace advocates honored by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) at the N-Peace Awards 2015.

This year’s awardees were recognized across three different categories. Neekzad was the winner in the Untold Stories: Women Transforming their Communities category, and Durrani was recognized for her works in the Winners in Peace Generation: Young Women and Men Building Peace category.

Neekzad has founded the Western Afghan Women’s Network in Herat which has supported 30,000 women with educational, confidence building and human rights programs.

Durrani serves as a leader, role model, and advocate for the women of Kandahar, Afghanistan. She was first elected as a Kandahar Provincial Council Member at the very young age of 21.

Since 2011, the N-Peace Awards have recognized the tireless efforts of women peace activists in Asia as well as male partners who progress gender equality and the inclusion of women in peace processes in their own countries.

This celebration is the conclusion of an annual regional campaign that received over 100 nominations from six participating countries – Indonesia, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan. The finalists were selected by almost 40,000 members of the public in an online poll. An expert selection panel then determined the winners.

“The award winners and their organizations show us how a global agenda can be implemented at the community level. Civil society engagement is the heart and soul of these efforts, as are the active participation and voices of women as change agents and peace builders,” says Ms. Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator. (Wadsam)