In an interview with CNN, Natalie Gonnella-Platts, Director of the Women's Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, spoke about the U.S. and the international community's responsibility to support Afghan students during this critical time.
A month after the U.S. military evacuation, students at the American University of Afghanistan (AUAF) are fearing for their lives, guarding their movements out of concern for the Taliban. Natalie Gonnella-Platts, Director of the Women’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, was asked by CNN to weigh in on the situation.
She stressed that the U.S. and the international community have a responsibility to support Afghan students “whether they’re in Afghanistan or whether they’re outside of Afghanistan.” Nearly half of the student body is made up of women, and Gonnella-Platts pointed out that educational institutions like AUAF were a “direct contributor” to the gains made by women in Afghanistan over the past decade.
