The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan sees its 25th anniversary on 7 October 2026. The stakes remain urgent. For Afghan women and girls, the consequences are not distant or abstract, but present in the ongoing fight for education, safety, public voice, and basic human rights under Taliban rule.

In partnership with the Rule of Law Institute at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Art Works Projects presents an exhibit, film excerpt, and discussion event titled The Sharp Edge of Peace: Global Struggle and Local Action for Women’s Rights in Afghanistan.

This event features the Art Works Projects exhibit Women Between Peace and War: Afghanistan.

Centering the lived experiences and leadership of Afghan women, the afternoon begins with an excerpt from The Sharp Edge of Peace, a film by Roya Sadat documenting four women peace negotiators during the fragile and dangerous transition that preceded the Taliban’s 2021 return to power. A panel discussion will follow, featuring Afghan women’s rights leaders and advocates working alongside Afghan refugees.

Art Works Projects believes visual storytelling can do more than bear witness. It can confront abuse, challenge injustice, and move audiences beyond awareness to action. This gathering asks us not simply to remember Afghanistan, but to listen, to reckon, and to act.

This event launches “Art Works Year 20”—a year-long series of programs, events, and celebrations marking our two decades of visual advocacy for human rights and social justice!

Please RSVP HERE to reserve your place (seating is limited).