From March 2 to March 31, 2026, the NGO PADEM, in collaboration with AFGHAAD and in partnership with the City of Luxembourg, has the honor of presenting an exceptional exhibition of works by Lunessa, a 16-year-old Afghan artist, at the Bierger Center of the City of Luxembourg.
Through her drawings, Lunessa gives a voice to those who are now being silenced: Afghan women and girls deprived of their fundamental rights.
On the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day (March 8), this exhibition continues PADEM’s commitment to human rights, equality, and dignity.
📅 Practical Information
📍 Venue
Bierger Center – City of Luxembourg
🗓 Dates
From March 2 to March 31, 2026
🎟 Admission
Free entry – Open to all audiences
Lunessa, a Voice for Those Who Are No Longer Heard
Through her drawings, Lunessa expresses what many Afghan women can no longer freely say.
Her works bear witness to:
- the loss of individual freedoms,
- the deprivation of access to education,
- everyday discrimination,
- but also strength, resilience, and hope.
Each creation is a universal message, carrying dignity, memory, and courage.
An Exhibition in Echo of March 8
This exhibition is fully aligned with the spirit of March 8 — International Women’s Rights Day.
By bringing together artistic expression, information, and solidarity, it reminds us that:
- women’s rights are never permanently guaranteed,
- millions of women around the world are still deprived of fundamental freedoms,
international solidarity is essential.
Through Lunessa’s perspective, PADEM invites the public to reflect, to be moved, and to commit to equality and justice.
Understanding the Situation in Afghanistan in 2026
In addition to the artworks, the exhibition features bilingual educational materials (French/English) entitled “Afghanistan in 2026.”
These panels help visitors better understand:
- the Taliban’s return to power in 2021,
- the restrictions imposed on women,
- exclusion from the education system,
- discrimination described as “gender apartheid,”
- social and human consequences.
They provide essential context, helping to place Lunessa’s drawings within their real-life reality.
PADEM & AFGHAAD: A Committed Partnership
This exhibition is the result of a partnership between PADEM and the association AFGHAAD – Afghanistan Today and Tomorrow.
Since 2025, this cooperation has taken shape through:
- the organization of conferences (November 21 and 25, 2025),
- awareness-raising initiatives,
- support for Afghan women,
- and today, this artistic exhibition.
It is built on a strong complementarity:
- AFGHAAD’s field expertise,
- PADEM’s capacity for advocacy and international mobilization.
A Powerful Symbolic Gesture
As part of the conference held on November 21, 2025, an original artwork by Lunessa was presented to the Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, Mrs. Lydie Polfer.
This symbolic moment reflects:
- institutional support for this cause,
- recognition of the message carried by Lunessa,
- a shared commitment to women’s rights.
Photo credit: Ms. Yasmin LABIDI
Presentation of a Lunessa Artwork to the Mayor of the City of Luxembourg, Mrs. Lydie Polfer, accompanied by Mr. Monsieur Bauer, First Alderman and Head of the Equal Opportunities Department, as well as Mrs. Madame Maquil, in charge of Equality – January 2026.
PADEM, Serving the Most Vulnerable
Since 2002, PADEM has been working to promote:
- child protection,
- access to education,
- health,
- women’s empowerment.
All activities carried out by PADEM, through fair and adapted partnerships, aim to ensure the sustainable realization of the fundamental rights of children and their families, with full respect for their dignity and humanity.
This exhibition fully reflects that mission.
Let us not forget them.