Month: February 2026

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – DESIGNME, the professional, vegan Canadian haircare brand, unveils Rooting for All Women, a limited-edition campaign honoring women, their evolution, and the power of transformation at every stage of life.

From artists behind the stylist chair to creators, salon owners, and consumers, women help bring DESIGNME to life every day. Rooting for All Women builds on the brand’s long-standing commitment to confidence, creativity, and self-expression — values that have been at the heart of DESIGNME since its inception in 2016.

“Rooting for All Women is about honoring the many transformations women experience — personally, professionally, and creatively,” said Cynthia Desrochers, VP Global Marketing and Digital at DESIGNME. “It’s a celebration of resilience and reinvention, while also creating meaningful impact for women who need support most.”

Inspired by the idea of metamorphosis, the campaign reflects moments of growth, renewal, and empowerment, mirroring the transformations women navigate throughout their lives.

Giving Back

As part of the initiative, DESIGNME will donate a portion of proceeds from the limited-edition collection, up to a maximum total donation of $10,000, to women’s support organizations in North America. The brand will also continue its commitment beyond the campaign, with additional initiatives planned throughout the year in support of charities.

A portion of the U.S. proceeds will support Rosie’s Place in Boston, an organization dedicated to providing safety, resources, and opportunity to women in vulnerable situations.

“We are grateful to DESIGNME for their generous partnership, which supports our work to provide sanctuary, support, and opportunity to every woman who needs us, for as long as she needs us,” added Leemarie Mosca, President & CEO of Rosie’s Place.

Limited-Edition Products

Available throughout March, the Rooting for All Women campaign is brought to life through the release of a limited-edition collection featuring two DESIGNME favorites, reimagined in a special packaging; PUFF.ME dry texture spray, BOUNCE.ME curl mousse, and a limited edition hair clip created by the brand.

Rooting for All Women is more than a campaign; it’s a reminder that when women are supported, they flourish.

ABOUT DESIGNME

Founded in 2016, DESIGNME is a proudly Canadian, professional haircare brand driven by creativity, performance, and authenticity. Born from the seat of a stylist, DESIGNME creates high-performance, cruelty-free, and vegan products crafted from natural ingredients, delivering innovation without compromise while fostering a diverse and inclusive beauty experience for all.

ABOUT ROSIE’S PLACE

Rosie’s Place was founded in 1974 as the first women’s shelter in the United States. More than fifty years later, Rosie’s Place not only provides meals and shelter but also creates answers for more than 13,000 women a year through wide-ranging support, housing and education services. Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment to help poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. Rosie’s Place relies solely on the generous support of individuals, foundations and corporations to fund its operations. We do not accept any city, state or federal funding.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/designme-launches-rooting-for-all-women-a-campaign-celebrating-transformation-strength-and-collective-impact-302698675.html

SOURCE DESIGNME

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ – DESIGNME, the professional, vegan Canadian haircare brand, unveils Rooting for All Women, a limited-edition campaign honoring women, their evolution, and the power of transformation at every stage of life.

From artists behind the stylist chair to creators, salon owners, and consumers, women help bring DESIGNME to life every day. Rooting for All Women builds on the brand’s long-standing commitment to confidence, creativity, and self-expression — values that have been at the heart of DESIGNME since its inception in 2016.

“Rooting for All Women is about honoring the many transformations women experience — personally, professionally, and creatively,” said Cynthia Desrochers, VP Global Marketing and Digital at DESIGNME. “It’s a celebration of resilience and reinvention, while also creating meaningful impact for women who need support most.”

Inspired by the idea of metamorphosis, the campaign reflects moments of growth, renewal, and empowerment, mirroring the transformations women navigate throughout their lives.

Giving Back

As part of the initiative, DESIGNME will donate a portion of proceeds from the limited-edition collection, up to a maximum total donation of $10,000, to women’s support organizations in North America. The brand will also continue its commitment beyond the campaign, with additional initiatives planned throughout the year in support of charities.

A portion of the U.S. proceeds will support Rosie’s Place in Boston, an organization dedicated to providing safety, resources, and opportunity to women in vulnerable situations.

“We are grateful to DESIGNME for their generous partnership, which supports our work to provide sanctuary, support, and opportunity to every woman who needs us, for as long as she needs us,” added Leemarie Mosca, President & CEO of Rosie’s Place.

Limited-Edition Products

Available throughout March, the Rooting for All Women campaign is brought to life through the release of a limited-edition collection featuring two DESIGNME favorites, reimagined in a special packaging; PUFF.ME dry texture spray, BOUNCE.ME curl mousse, and a limited edition hair clip created by the brand.

Rooting for All Women is more than a campaign; it’s a reminder that when women are supported, they flourish.

ABOUT DESIGNME

Founded in 2016, DESIGNME is a proudly Canadian, professional haircare brand driven by creativity, performance, and authenticity. Born from the seat of a stylist, DESIGNME creates high-performance, cruelty-free, and vegan products crafted from natural ingredients, delivering innovation without compromise while fostering a diverse and inclusive beauty experience for all.

ABOUT ROSIE’S PLACE

Rosie’s Place was founded in 1974 as the first women’s shelter in the United States. More than fifty years later, Rosie’s Place not only provides meals and shelter but also creates answers for more than 13,000 women a year through wide-ranging support, housing and education services. Our mission is to provide a safe and nurturing environment to help poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. Rosie’s Place relies solely on the generous support of individuals, foundations and corporations to fund its operations. We do not accept any city, state or federal funding.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/designme-launches-rooting-for-all-women-a-campaign-celebrating-transformation-strength-and-collective-impact-302698675.html

SOURCE DESIGNME

Criminal justice coordinator to explore leadership, ethics, and civil disobedience through Smithsonian collections

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Montgomery College criminal justice professor and program coordinator Bridget Lowrie has been selected for the 2026 MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship cohort, a yearlong academic partnership that connects college classrooms with Smithsonian collections, scholars, and digital resources. The 2026 fellowship theme, “Fostering a Culture of Critical and Ethical Learning to Shape Future Leaders,” will focus on leadership and ethics in a rapidly changing world.

The MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship, housed in the College’s Paul Peck Humanities Institute, grew out of a collaboration with the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. The initiative, the first of its kind between the Smithsonian and a community college, has involved 256 Montgomery College faculty and more than 26,000 students and their families since 1998.

Lowrie will use the fellowship to develop a project on civil disobedience, leadership, and ethics that connects museum artifacts to contemporary questions in criminology. Her proposal includes potential partnerships with the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian, as well as virtual artifact collections that help students examine the intersections of disability, protest and justice.

“As an attorney and criminal justice professor, I see students wrestling every day with questions about power, fairness, and accountability,” Lowrie said. “Working with Smithsonian collections on civil disobedience and social movements will give them concrete objects, stories, and images to ground those conversations, not just abstract theories.”

The interdisciplinary fellowship is open to faculty from all three Montgomery College campuses. Fellows participate in seminars with Smithsonian curators and educators, explore on-site and virtual exhibitions, and design projects that embed museum resources into their courses. Lowrie’s students will begin engaging with the fellowship project in fall 2026 through class visits, virtual collections, and research assignments focused on leadership, ethics, and civic engagement.

Lowrie teaches in the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department at Montgomery College and serves as the Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring coordinator for criminal justice. She began teaching in 2013 after nearly a decade in law practice as a Maryland attorney and prosecutor and as a judicial law clerk.

For more information about the MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship, visit the Paul Peck Humanities Institute’s fellowship page on the Montgomery College website.

https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/special-programs/paul-peck-humanities-institute/smithsonian-faculty-fellowships.html

About Bridget Lowrie

Lowrie teaches in the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department at Montgomery College. She began teaching in 2013 after nearly a decade in law practice. Lowrie holds a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she served as an associate editor of the Maryland Law Review and was a Rosa Zetzer Fellow, a B.A. in political science from American University, and an A.A. from Prince George’s Community College. She has been recognized by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges with its Top 40 Under 40 honor and remains active in civic and legal organizations, including service on nonprofit boards and advisory groups, work that informs her teaching and her efforts to connect students with criminal justice career paths.

Media Contact:
Bridget Lowrie
Email: 409713@email4pr.com
Phone: 240-567-5143

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/montgomery-colleges-bridget-lowrie-selected-for-2026-smithsonian-faculty-fellowship-302698674.html

SOURCE Bridget Lowrie

Criminal justice coordinator to explore leadership, ethics, and civil disobedience through Smithsonian collections

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Montgomery College criminal justice professor and program coordinator Bridget Lowrie has been selected for the 2026 MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship cohort, a yearlong academic partnership that connects college classrooms with Smithsonian collections, scholars, and digital resources. The 2026 fellowship theme, “Fostering a Culture of Critical and Ethical Learning to Shape Future Leaders,” will focus on leadership and ethics in a rapidly changing world.

The MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship, housed in the College’s Paul Peck Humanities Institute, grew out of a collaboration with the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. The initiative, the first of its kind between the Smithsonian and a community college, has involved 256 Montgomery College faculty and more than 26,000 students and their families since 1998.

Lowrie will use the fellowship to develop a project on civil disobedience, leadership, and ethics that connects museum artifacts to contemporary questions in criminology. Her proposal includes potential partnerships with the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian, as well as virtual artifact collections that help students examine the intersections of disability, protest and justice.

“As an attorney and criminal justice professor, I see students wrestling every day with questions about power, fairness, and accountability,” Lowrie said. “Working with Smithsonian collections on civil disobedience and social movements will give them concrete objects, stories, and images to ground those conversations, not just abstract theories.”

The interdisciplinary fellowship is open to faculty from all three Montgomery College campuses. Fellows participate in seminars with Smithsonian curators and educators, explore on-site and virtual exhibitions, and design projects that embed museum resources into their courses. Lowrie’s students will begin engaging with the fellowship project in fall 2026 through class visits, virtual collections, and research assignments focused on leadership, ethics, and civic engagement.

Lowrie teaches in the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department at Montgomery College and serves as the Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring coordinator for criminal justice. She began teaching in 2013 after nearly a decade in law practice as a Maryland attorney and prosecutor and as a judicial law clerk.

For more information about the MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship, visit the Paul Peck Humanities Institute’s fellowship page on the Montgomery College website.

https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/special-programs/paul-peck-humanities-institute/smithsonian-faculty-fellowships.html

About Bridget Lowrie

Lowrie teaches in the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department at Montgomery College. She began teaching in 2013 after nearly a decade in law practice. Lowrie holds a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she served as an associate editor of the Maryland Law Review and was a Rosa Zetzer Fellow, a B.A. in political science from American University, and an A.A. from Prince George’s Community College. She has been recognized by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges with its Top 40 Under 40 honor and remains active in civic and legal organizations, including service on nonprofit boards and advisory groups, work that informs her teaching and her efforts to connect students with criminal justice career paths.

Media Contact:
Bridget Lowrie
Email: 409713@email4pr.com
Phone: 240-567-5143

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/montgomery-colleges-bridget-lowrie-selected-for-2026-smithsonian-faculty-fellowship-302698674.html

SOURCE Bridget Lowrie

Criminal justice coordinator to explore leadership, ethics, and civil disobedience through Smithsonian collections

ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Montgomery College criminal justice professor and program coordinator Bridget Lowrie has been selected for the 2026 MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship cohort, a yearlong academic partnership that connects college classrooms with Smithsonian collections, scholars, and digital resources. The 2026 fellowship theme, “Fostering a Culture of Critical and Ethical Learning to Shape Future Leaders,” will focus on leadership and ethics in a rapidly changing world.

The MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship, housed in the College’s Paul Peck Humanities Institute, grew out of a collaboration with the Smithsonian Office of Educational Technology and the Smithsonian Learning Lab. The initiative, the first of its kind between the Smithsonian and a community college, has involved 256 Montgomery College faculty and more than 26,000 students and their families since 1998.

Lowrie will use the fellowship to develop a project on civil disobedience, leadership, and ethics that connects museum artifacts to contemporary questions in criminology. Her proposal includes potential partnerships with the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Museum of the American Indian, as well as virtual artifact collections that help students examine the intersections of disability, protest and justice.

“As an attorney and criminal justice professor, I see students wrestling every day with questions about power, fairness, and accountability,” Lowrie said. “Working with Smithsonian collections on civil disobedience and social movements will give them concrete objects, stories, and images to ground those conversations, not just abstract theories.”

The interdisciplinary fellowship is open to faculty from all three Montgomery College campuses. Fellows participate in seminars with Smithsonian curators and educators, explore on-site and virtual exhibitions, and design projects that embed museum resources into their courses. Lowrie’s students will begin engaging with the fellowship project in fall 2026 through class visits, virtual collections, and research assignments focused on leadership, ethics, and civic engagement.

Lowrie teaches in the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department at Montgomery College and serves as the Rockville and Takoma Park/Silver Spring coordinator for criminal justice. She began teaching in 2013 after nearly a decade in law practice as a Maryland attorney and prosecutor and as a judicial law clerk.

For more information about the MC-Smithsonian Faculty Fellowship, visit the Paul Peck Humanities Institute’s fellowship page on the Montgomery College website.

https://www.montgomerycollege.edu/special-programs/paul-peck-humanities-institute/smithsonian-faculty-fellowships.html

About Bridget Lowrie

Lowrie teaches in the Sociology, Anthropology and Criminal Justice Department at Montgomery College. She began teaching in 2013 after nearly a decade in law practice. Lowrie holds a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she served as an associate editor of the Maryland Law Review and was a Rosa Zetzer Fellow, a B.A. in political science from American University, and an A.A. from Prince George’s Community College. She has been recognized by the American Association for Women in Community Colleges with its Top 40 Under 40 honor and remains active in civic and legal organizations, including service on nonprofit boards and advisory groups, work that informs her teaching and her efforts to connect students with criminal justice career paths.

Media Contact:
Bridget Lowrie
Email: 409713@email4pr.com
Phone: 240-567-5143

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/montgomery-colleges-bridget-lowrie-selected-for-2026-smithsonian-faculty-fellowship-302698674.html

SOURCE Bridget Lowrie

Today, singer and activist Sonita Alizadeh launches “Donate Your Voice” to fight the silence imposed on women in Afghanistan. A global initiative, in partnership with UNICEF, inviting people everywhere to donate their voices through a TikTok filter.

PARIS, Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In Afghanistan, 21 million women and girls are systemically excluded from public life as the result a of a number of legislative actions. Since 2021, girls have been banned from education from the age of 12, marking the beginning of the spiral of oppression. In 2022, women lost the ability to move freely without the presence of a guardian (“mahram”). As of 2024, the effort to make them invisible reached its peak: they are now legally forbidden to speak, sing, or laugh in public. Now, in 2026, the situation has reached new levels of horror with the implementation of a criminal procedure code that permits violence and corporal punishment against women and children.

Sonita Alizadeh, a voice for those who no longer have one.

To combat this social and sonic oppression, artist Sonita Alizadeh raises her voice. A survivor who escaped two forced marriages in her childhood, she transformed her exile in Iran and her passion for music into a powerful tool for raising global awareness.

She wrote “Can Someone Find My Friends” for all the friends she has lost: some were forced into marriage and living in seclusion, others were killed or forced to flee to save their lives. In an Afghanistan where women can no longer speak in the streets or make their voices heard, the song pays tribute to those she has never seen again and to all the women silenced.

An unprecedented initiative to fight injustice: if Afghan women can no longer make their voices heard, the world will speak for them

Starting today, Sonita is releasing a video with a unique call to action: inviting people around the world to join the chorus of her new track, “Can Someone Find My Friends” produced by Prodigious France. The concept is simple: anyone can lend their voice by using the immersive TikTok filter designed by Atomic Design, or by visiting the platform donateyourvoice.net to record the chorus and share their video. With the participation of Grammy Award–winning producer John Foyle who, after being involved in the production of the track, will also assemble and mix all the collected voices to create a unique global choir.

While Donate Your Voice is a call for support of Afghan women, the project carries a universal message: freedom of expression is a fundamental human right for all women.

“I want everyone feeling powerless against injustice to know their voice matters”— Sonita Alizadeh

An initiative supporting UNICEF programs for girls in Afghanistan
UNICEF, present in Afghanistan for nearly 80 years, is a key beneficiary of the initiative. Funds raised will support UNICEF programs for Afghan women and girls, and the campaign raises awareness and supports advocacy efforts for their rights. Second, UNICEF is mobilizing its ambassadors to amplify the reach of the campaign.

#DonateYourVoice #Sonita

About Sonita Alizadeh
Sonita Alizadeh is an Afghan singer and activist, born in 1996 in Herat, who became an international voice against forced marriage and violence against girls after escaping two arranged marriages herself. A refugee in Iran and later in the United States, she gained recognition in 2014 with the song “Brides for Sale,” denouncing the sale of young girls, and through the documentary Sonita, which won awards at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and helped establish her as a leading figure in the global fight for women’s rights. Since then, she has spoken on the world’s most prominent stages, including the United Nations, and continues to advocate for women and girls. Her efforts have earned her the 2025 Cannes Lionheart, the 2021 Normandy Region Freedom Prize, and recognition in Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia.”

About John Foyle
John Foyle is a London-based British producer, mixer, and songwriter who emerged from Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 and the XL Recordings ecosystem, where he contributed to major pop and alternative music projects. He has collaborated with leading international artists such as London Grammar, Years & Years, Kali Uchis, Louis Tomlinson, FKA twigs, and Sampha, working across a wide range of genres making him a versatile and influential figure in contemporary music production.

About UNICEF
UNICEF has been present in Afghanistan for nearly 80 years and works to protect the rights of every child, particularly girls and women in the context of a humanitarian crisis and severe restrictions. The organization takes concrete actions to ensure access to healthcare, education, nutrition, and water, so that every girl can survive and thrive. In the field of education, UNICEF advocates for the reopening of secondary schools for girls, while supporting formal and informal learning, early childhood development, and the reintegration of out-of-school children.

* https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/afghanistan-four-years-22-million-girls-still-banned-school 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/afghan-artist-sonita-launches-donate-your-voice-a-call-to-speak-up-for-those-who-cant-302699609.html

SOURCE Donate Your Voice

Today, singer and activist Sonita Alizadeh launches “Donate Your Voice” to fight the silence imposed on women in Afghanistan. A global initiative, in partnership with UNICEF, inviting people everywhere to donate their voices through a TikTok filter.

PARIS, Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In Afghanistan, 21 million women and girls are systemically excluded from public life as the result a of a number of legislative actions. Since 2021, girls have been banned from education from the age of 12, marking the beginning of the spiral of oppression. In 2022, women lost the ability to move freely without the presence of a guardian (“mahram”). As of 2024, the effort to make them invisible reached its peak: they are now legally forbidden to speak, sing, or laugh in public. Now, in 2026, the situation has reached new levels of horror with the implementation of a criminal procedure code that permits violence and corporal punishment against women and children.

Sonita Alizadeh, a voice for those who no longer have one.

To combat this social and sonic oppression, artist Sonita Alizadeh raises her voice. A survivor who escaped two forced marriages in her childhood, she transformed her exile in Iran and her passion for music into a powerful tool for raising global awareness.

She wrote “Can Someone Find My Friends” for all the friends she has lost: some were forced into marriage and living in seclusion, others were killed or forced to flee to save their lives. In an Afghanistan where women can no longer speak in the streets or make their voices heard, the song pays tribute to those she has never seen again and to all the women silenced.

An unprecedented initiative to fight injustice: if Afghan women can no longer make their voices heard, the world will speak for them

Starting today, Sonita is releasing a video with a unique call to action: inviting people around the world to join the chorus of her new track, “Can Someone Find My Friends” produced by Prodigious France. The concept is simple: anyone can lend their voice by using the immersive TikTok filter designed by Atomic Design, or by visiting the platform donateyourvoice.net to record the chorus and share their video. With the participation of Grammy Award–winning producer John Foyle who, after being involved in the production of the track, will also assemble and mix all the collected voices to create a unique global choir.

While Donate Your Voice is a call for support of Afghan women, the project carries a universal message: freedom of expression is a fundamental human right for all women.

“I want everyone feeling powerless against injustice to know their voice matters”— Sonita Alizadeh

An initiative supporting UNICEF programs for girls in Afghanistan
UNICEF, present in Afghanistan for nearly 80 years, is a key beneficiary of the initiative. Funds raised will support UNICEF programs for Afghan women and girls, and the campaign raises awareness and supports advocacy efforts for their rights. Second, UNICEF is mobilizing its ambassadors to amplify the reach of the campaign.

#DonateYourVoice #Sonita

About Sonita Alizadeh
Sonita Alizadeh is an Afghan singer and activist, born in 1996 in Herat, who became an international voice against forced marriage and violence against girls after escaping two arranged marriages herself. A refugee in Iran and later in the United States, she gained recognition in 2014 with the song “Brides for Sale,” denouncing the sale of young girls, and through the documentary Sonita, which won awards at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and helped establish her as a leading figure in the global fight for women’s rights. Since then, she has spoken on the world’s most prominent stages, including the United Nations, and continues to advocate for women and girls. Her efforts have earned her the 2025 Cannes Lionheart, the 2021 Normandy Region Freedom Prize, and recognition in Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia.”

About John Foyle
John Foyle is a London-based British producer, mixer, and songwriter who emerged from Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 and the XL Recordings ecosystem, where he contributed to major pop and alternative music projects. He has collaborated with leading international artists such as London Grammar, Years & Years, Kali Uchis, Louis Tomlinson, FKA twigs, and Sampha, working across a wide range of genres making him a versatile and influential figure in contemporary music production.

About UNICEF
UNICEF has been present in Afghanistan for nearly 80 years and works to protect the rights of every child, particularly girls and women in the context of a humanitarian crisis and severe restrictions. The organization takes concrete actions to ensure access to healthcare, education, nutrition, and water, so that every girl can survive and thrive. In the field of education, UNICEF advocates for the reopening of secondary schools for girls, while supporting formal and informal learning, early childhood development, and the reintegration of out-of-school children.

* https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/afghanistan-four-years-22-million-girls-still-banned-school 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/afghan-artist-sonita-launches-donate-your-voice-a-call-to-speak-up-for-those-who-cant-302699609.html

SOURCE Donate Your Voice

Today, singer and activist Sonita Alizadeh launches “Donate Your Voice” to fight the silence imposed on women in Afghanistan. A global initiative, in partnership with UNICEF, inviting people everywhere to donate their voices through a TikTok filter.

PARIS, Feb. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — In Afghanistan, 21 million women and girls are systemically excluded from public life as the result a of a number of legislative actions. Since 2021, girls have been banned from education from the age of 12, marking the beginning of the spiral of oppression. In 2022, women lost the ability to move freely without the presence of a guardian (“mahram”). As of 2024, the effort to make them invisible reached its peak: they are now legally forbidden to speak, sing, or laugh in public. Now, in 2026, the situation has reached new levels of horror with the implementation of a criminal procedure code that permits violence and corporal punishment against women and children.

Sonita Alizadeh, a voice for those who no longer have one.

To combat this social and sonic oppression, artist Sonita Alizadeh raises her voice. A survivor who escaped two forced marriages in her childhood, she transformed her exile in Iran and her passion for music into a powerful tool for raising global awareness.

She wrote “Can Someone Find My Friends” for all the friends she has lost: some were forced into marriage and living in seclusion, others were killed or forced to flee to save their lives. In an Afghanistan where women can no longer speak in the streets or make their voices heard, the song pays tribute to those she has never seen again and to all the women silenced.

An unprecedented initiative to fight injustice: if Afghan women can no longer make their voices heard, the world will speak for them

Starting today, Sonita is releasing a video with a unique call to action: inviting people around the world to join the chorus of her new track, “Can Someone Find My Friends” produced by Prodigious France. The concept is simple: anyone can lend their voice by using the immersive TikTok filter designed by Atomic Design, or by visiting the platform donateyourvoice.net to record the chorus and share their video. With the participation of Grammy Award–winning producer John Foyle who, after being involved in the production of the track, will also assemble and mix all the collected voices to create a unique global choir.

While Donate Your Voice is a call for support of Afghan women, the project carries a universal message: freedom of expression is a fundamental human right for all women.

“I want everyone feeling powerless against injustice to know their voice matters”— Sonita Alizadeh

An initiative supporting UNICEF programs for girls in Afghanistan
UNICEF, present in Afghanistan for nearly 80 years, is a key beneficiary of the initiative. Funds raised will support UNICEF programs for Afghan women and girls, and the campaign raises awareness and supports advocacy efforts for their rights. Second, UNICEF is mobilizing its ambassadors to amplify the reach of the campaign.

#DonateYourVoice #Sonita

About Sonita Alizadeh
Sonita Alizadeh is an Afghan singer and activist, born in 1996 in Herat, who became an international voice against forced marriage and violence against girls after escaping two arranged marriages herself. A refugee in Iran and later in the United States, she gained recognition in 2014 with the song “Brides for Sale,” denouncing the sale of young girls, and through the documentary Sonita, which won awards at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and helped establish her as a leading figure in the global fight for women’s rights. Since then, she has spoken on the world’s most prominent stages, including the United Nations, and continues to advocate for women and girls. Her efforts have earned her the 2025 Cannes Lionheart, the 2021 Normandy Region Freedom Prize, and recognition in Forbes’ “30 Under 30 Asia.”

About John Foyle
John Foyle is a London-based British producer, mixer, and songwriter who emerged from Damon Albarn’s Studio 13 and the XL Recordings ecosystem, where he contributed to major pop and alternative music projects. He has collaborated with leading international artists such as London Grammar, Years & Years, Kali Uchis, Louis Tomlinson, FKA twigs, and Sampha, working across a wide range of genres making him a versatile and influential figure in contemporary music production.

About UNICEF
UNICEF has been present in Afghanistan for nearly 80 years and works to protect the rights of every child, particularly girls and women in the context of a humanitarian crisis and severe restrictions. The organization takes concrete actions to ensure access to healthcare, education, nutrition, and water, so that every girl can survive and thrive. In the field of education, UNICEF advocates for the reopening of secondary schools for girls, while supporting formal and informal learning, early childhood development, and the reintegration of out-of-school children.

* https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/afghanistan-four-years-22-million-girls-still-banned-school 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/afghan-artist-sonita-launches-donate-your-voice-a-call-to-speak-up-for-those-who-cant-302699609.html

SOURCE Donate Your Voice