Homaira Qadare, chosen as the Refugee of the Year 2025, at the Refugee of the Year award ceremony in Helsinki on 12 June 2025. Photo: Roni Rekomaa / Lehtikuva
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Homaira Qadare has been named Finland’s Refugee of the Year by the Finnish Refugee Council. She received the honour in recognition of her long-standing work supporting refugees and raising awareness about women’s rights.
Qadare arrived in Finland in 2003 at the age of 15. Her family came through family reunification, joining her father who had earlier sought asylum. She grew up and studied in the Pirkkala region of Tampere and qualified as a practical nurse.
Speaking through the Finnish Refugee Council, Qadare said she felt fortunate to have escaped Afghanistan and the restrictions faced by women there. She described the contrast in her experiences after arriving in Finland.
“My father witnessed students cheerfully throwing candy during Finland’s traditional high school graduation parade and hoped that his children would one day wear the white student caps too. In the end, we did so, even though at school we were told that immigrants couldn’t make it to high school,” she said.
Now living in Tampere with her husband and three children, Qadare works in early childhood education and has spent the past decade volunteering to support other refugees and immigrants. Her volunteer work includes educating young girls on reproductive health and speaking openly about mental health among immigrant communities.
“I gain a lot of strength from volunteer work and helping others. Nothing beats the moment when someone looks you in the eye with a smile and says thank you. No matter where people come from, what their religion or skin colour is, I want to help them,” she said.
As Refugee of the Year, Qadare intends to focus attention on the situation of women in Afghanistan. She criticised the country’s current treatment of women, stating that their basic rights have deteriorated severely.
“In Afghanistan, animals have more rights than women. Women are not allowed to speak in public, must remain hidden, and cannot go anywhere without a man’s permission or presence. I want to speak for these women and make sure they are not forgotten among all the world’s other crises,” she said.
The Finnish Refugee Council selects a Refugee of the Year annually to highlight individuals who have contributed significantly to society and advanced the position of refugees in Finland.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
