Support the NH Coalition for Afghan Women Judges Today
The New Hampshire Bar Foundation serves as fiscal agent for the Coalition.
You do not have to be a member of the New Hampshire Bar Association to make a donation. Click “Donate Now” to login and/or create an account.
Call to Action
Terrorized for Upholding Justice and the Rule of Law; Now Making a New Life in New Hampshire Committed to Law and Justice
The appointment of female judges in Afghanistan was part of a twenty-year effort assisted by the International Association of Women Judges to promote the rule of law in various countries and support women entering the legal profession. In 2021, the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, and all the progress was lost.
Afghan judges and their families were forced to evacuate the country as horrific stories of murder and terror against these women were widely documented. The judges and their families were in mortal danger and fled to neighboring countries in the Middle East and Europe.
Imagine being terrorized and driven from your job, your home, and your life, and the only way to survive is by starting over in a new country.
To escape the atrocities, Afghan judges lived as refugees in various parts of the world. With help from the International Association of Women Judges, many successfully resettled permanently in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the United States.
New Hampshire welcomed the opportunity to honor the commitment to justice, the rule of law, and basic human dignity for all in a very tangible way by supporting these courageous women as they began a new life in freedom and safety in the United States.
New Hampshire Takes Action
After two years in a refugee camp, Judge Geeti Roeen and her family were safely relocated to New Hampshire! To ensure successful resettlement, assimilation, and independence, a group of volunteers, with a huge assist from the New Hampshire Women’s Bar Association, organized the NH Coalition for Afghan Women Judges – recognized by the National Association of Women Judges – assist with the family’s needs, which include housing, transportation, clothing, food, supplies, employment, and education. The New Hampshire resettlement agency, the International Institute of New England (IINE), provided essential support to the family temporarily, but continued support is needed until the family can be self-supporting.
Resettlement Progress
The Roeen family includes Judge Roeen, her husband, Dr. Ziaurahman Roeen, and their three children, Kiyomars (15), Mehrsa (11) and Kyanoush (5). The family resides in an apartment in Manchester furnished through IINE and generous donations from Justice Carol Ann Conboy, who was downsizing at just the right moment! The children all attend Manchester schools and after two years in the refugee camp without any schooling available, they are eager to learn and are excelling. Dr. Roeen is hard at work studying and testing to obtain his US medical license while also serving as a medical interpreter. Judge Roeen served as a guest lecturer at Dartmouth College and as a visiting scholar at UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law. She has been accepted into the American Bar Association’s study program for Afghan legal professionals which provides a path toward licensure and work in the law in the US. While gaining English language proficiency for the ABA program, Judge Roeen is working part-time at Alpha-Bits Learning Center. At the same time Judge and Dr. Roeen are raising their three children, and Judge Roeen is impressing with her cooking skills to thank their supporters!
The NH Coalition for Afghan Women Judges has been and responding to the Roeen family’s most pressing needs. Your support today will ensure we can continue our work to help the family stabilize and eventually thrive in their new home country. We encourage you to join us.
On the transportation front, initially, a network of volunteers provided rides as needed. Then, a used car was donated by Christine Gordon, Esq. to the Roeen family. Unfortunately, it was totaled by an uninsured motorist, so a second vehicle was obtained at a discounted price courtesy of McGee Toyota and helped by a refugee matching grant program augmenting the family’s funds. First Dr. Roeen and then Judge Roeen obtained NH driver’s licenses. Miraculously, a second vehicle was donated.
How to Help
However, the need for support remains. The NH Coalition for Afghan Women Judges is raising funds to support rent, utilities, clothing, food, car insurance and expenses, technology, and school supplies, as well as various other items that a family starting over needs to make a new home. If you are interested in donating, please reach out to supportafghanjudges@nhbar.org or click to donate. Cash donations are the most helpful because they can be directed to a specific need.
Current Needs
The Coalition is seeking individuals or firms willing to help support monthly rent payments for Judge Geeti Roeen’s family, which is currently $1,875 per month, together with ongoing expenses for car insurance, utilities, food, clothing, and education. While the family has been making a lot of progress, there’s a need for additional temporary support until Dr. Roeen and Judge Roeen are able to gain professional employment. If you are able to help (in whole or in part), please reach out: supportafghanjudges@nhbar.org.
To offer other resources or learn more about how you can support this initiative, please reach out to the NH Coalition for Afghan Women Judges directly at supportafghanjudges@nhbar.org.
About the Coalition for Afghan Women Judges
Volunteer Board,* Incorporators, and Steering Committee
Hon. Anna Barbara Hantz Marconi
Hon. Ellen V. Christo
Hon Sandra Cabrera
Hon. Brenda Murray, NAWJ
Hon. Patricia Whalen, NAWJ
Pauline Belleville
Anne Emily Caplin
Megan Carrier, Esq.*
Pamala Custer
Susan Gagnon*
Tayla George, Esq.
Meghan Glynn, Esq.*
Katherine E. Hedges, Esq.
Megan Hilson, Esq.*
Lynn Marie Hinchee, Esq.
Rebecca Purdom, Esq.
Wendy Rau, Esq.*
Lyndsay Robinson, Esq.
Kara Simard, Esq.
Susan A. Zeller
Thank You to Additional Volunteers/Supporters
Adonia Simpson
Amila Merdzanovic
Hon. Andrea K. Johnstone
Bill Hammond
Bret Gifford, Esq.
Christine Gordon, Esq.
Clement Kigugu
Courtney Brooks, Esq.
Courtney H.G. Herz, Esq.
Dr. Janet Breslin Smith
Ellen Grimm
Jackie Waters
Lucinda Hopkins, Esq.
Rachael Azotea
Rick Hopkins
Jennifer Warburton, Esq.
Sarah Lavoie, Esq.
Clara Lyons, Esq.
Paul Grimstad, Esq.
Samuel Reid, III, Esq.
Elizabeth Ewing, Esq.
Andrea Chatfield, Esq.
Denise Poulos, Esq.
David Miller, Esq.
Janet Vail, Esq.
Melissa Davis, Esq.
Hon. Polly Hall
Heather E. Krans
Henry Harris, IINE
Hon. Patricia B. Quigley
Hon. James Bassett (ret.)
Hon. Samantha D. Elliott
John Greabe, Esq.
Laura Knoy
Ellen Grimm
Hon. Lisa Walsh, NAWJ
Hon. Carol Ann Conboy (ret.)
Hon. Lindsey B. Courtney
Lynn Preston, Esq.
Marin Stein
Michael H. Byowitz, Esq.
Nathan Warecki, Esq.
Rick Hopkins
Abramson, Brown & Dugan
Drummond Woodsum
Sheehan Phinney Bass & Green
NH Bar Foundation
NH Women’s Bar Association
Manchester Rotary Club
Dartmouth College
Rockefeller Center
Franklin Pierce School of Law
University of New Hampshire
And special thanks to the NH and VT Supreme Courts, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Congresswoman Becca Balint, and those who welcomed the judges to NH and VT and for their continuing support.
Links
We encourage you to visit these important links to gain a further understanding of the importance of your support.
Mirror of Justice on Vimeo – Story of IAWJ efforts to evacuate judges and Judge Parsa
Afghan women judges discuss leaving Afghanistan | JudicatureJudicature – article by Tayeba Parsa
IAWJ receives Bolch Prize for “swift, breathtaking” effort to aid Afghan women judges
The Resilience of Afghan Women Judges – International Association of Women Judges
The Struggles of Afghan Female Judges and Prosecutors Under Taliban Rule • Manara Magazine
Dreams Deferred: The Oppression of Women Judges Under Taliban Rule – Ms. Magazine
A new beginning for Afghan judges forced to flee the Taliban | Peter A. Allard School of Law