About the Author: Melanne Verveer serves as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues.

During my first trip to Afghanistan as Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, I was struck by something one woman said to me during a meeting with a group of female civil society actors in Kabul. She said, “Stop looking at us as victims, but rather as the leaders that we are.”

That thought always comes to mind when I meet other Afghan women — as I often do — who have defied the odds, made sacrifices, and have emerged as leaders, activists and advocates in so many areas, working to advance not just the rights of women and girls, but the future of their country. This week, I once again had the privilege of speaking with a group of dynamic and dedicated Afghan women, this time from Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, via a video teleconference arranged by U.S. diplomats and military, including members of the U.S. Army’s Female Engagement Teams, serving… more »