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
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SOURCE Donate Your Voice
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