Afghan Education Advocate Receives France’s 2026 Freedom Prize
Tawazon – Matiullah Wesa, an Afghan education activist has received France’s 2026 Freedom Prize in recognition of his efforts to support the right to education, particularly for girls in Afghanistan.
The award was presented to Wesa during a ceremony held on Thursday June 4, in the city of Caen, France.
Organizers of the Freedom Prize announced on X that the award had officially been handed to Wesa during the ceremony.
The Freedom Prize is awarded annually through votes cast by thousands of young people from around the world to individuals and organization that have made significant contributions to defending freedom, human rights and human dignity.
Wesa was selected as this year’s recipient for his continued efforts to advocate for the right to education in Afghanistan especially girls’ education.
He is considered one of Afghanistan’s most prominent education activists and has repeatedly emphasized the importance of ensuring access to education for children and girls.
Following Afghanistan’s political changes, Wesa continued his educational advocacy and consistently calld for educational opportunities for all Afghan children.
This comes as the issue of girls’ education in Afghanistan remains one of the international community’s major human rights concerns.