Media Relations
News Releases
For Release Upon Receipt - April 11, 2006
Contact:
Kira Jastive, 617-358-1240, kjastive@bu.edu
AFGHAN WOMEN'S HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST SIMA SAMAR TO VISIT BOSTON UNIVERSITY AS DISTINGUISHED SCHOLAR
Dr. Samar to address healthcare challenges that face Afghan women and children
(Boston) – The Global Health Initiative (GHI) at Boston University and the BU School of Public Health announced today that Dr. Sima Samar, chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, has been chosen as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Global Health and will spend time on BU’s Medical campus in May and the university’s Charles River campus when she returns in October. While at BU next month, Dr. Samar will deliver a lecture titled, “The Hidden War: Obstacles to Healthcare for Afghan Women,” on Tuesday, May 9, 5:15 p.m., 670 Albany Street, Boston. The event is free and open to the public. During her visits, she will also meet with faculty, students and staff to bring to the forefront the health and human rights challenges that face Afghan women and children.
A leading authority on these issues in her country, Samar founded the Shuhada Organization in 1989 to implement innovative programs in health, education, construction, and income generation that improve the lives of women and children in Afghanistan and those living as refugees in Pakistan. The Shuhada Organization has grown to become the largest female-led non-government organization in Afghanistan and operates an extensive network of hospitals, clinics, schools and shelters as well as numerous other programs and services for women and children. For more information about the organization, please visit www.shuhada.org.
“Boston University is honored to host Dr. Samar as a visiting scholar,” said Gerald T. Keusch, M.D., associate dean of Global Health, BU School of Public Health, and director of the Global Health Initiative. “Her work to improve the lives and healthcare for Afghan women and children under extraordinarily difficult conditions has made her an icon in global health and her efforts will ideally lead to new policies that will advance the country’s medical and education infrastructure.”
The recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the 2004 Jonathan Mann Award for Health and Human Rights, Samar is an international symbol of the steadfast courage required to demand basic human rights for women and children in Afghanistan.
In addition to directing the Shuhada Organization, Samar served as the country’s first Minister of Women's Affairs during the interim government, leading the effort to restore economic, political, legal and social rights to women. In her current role as Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, she oversees the conduct of human rights education programs across the country, implementation of a nationwide women’s rights education program, and monitoring and investigation of human rights abuses.
The Global Health Initiative at Boston University was established to promote multi-disciplinary research, education, outreach and policy studies across and beyond the Boston University community, and to contribute to reducing disparities in health through the generation of new knowledge, the education of students as “global citizens,” and the development of partnerships with global health leaders, scholars, and practitioners around the world. The GHI Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Global Health Program provides a framework for developing important new collaborations and partnerships between BU and leaders in health and science across the globe.
The Boston University School of Public Health is one of the nation’s leading graduate schools of public health, preparing practitioners and scientists for careers that promote health among underserved populations locally and around the world.
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 30,000 students, it is the fourth largest independent university in the United States. BU contains 17 colleges and schools along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes which are central to the school’s research and teaching mission.
Event:
“The Hidden War: Obstacles to Healthcare for Afghan Women,” featuring Dr. Sima Samar
Date:
Tuesday, May 9, 2006
Time:
5:15 p.m.
Place:
670 Albany Street
Boston, MA
For more information, contact: John Douglas at 617-414-1440, or johnd@bu.edu
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