2026 Annual Celebration | Sept 17
Celebrate with the Vermont Women’s Fund
Join us for an evening of connection, inspiration, and shared commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls.
Thursday, September 17, 2026
5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
doors open at 4:30 p.m.
UVM Davis Center, 590 Main Street, Burlington, VT
We are excited to feature another world leader in women’s rights and education on our stage. This year’s featured speaker is Shabana Basij-Rasikh, co-founder of the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA). Raised in Kabul during the Taliban’s first regime, Shabana has dedicated her entire adult life to educating Afghan girls.
Additional event details will be shared later this spring. In the meantime, we invite you to reserve your seat. For those who are able, Ally, Advocate, and Host level tickets help subsidize access for others and support Women’s Fund programming.
- $60 General Admission
- $10 Student General Admission
- $175 Ally (preferred seating)
- $500 Advocate (preferred seating)
- $1,000 Host (preferred seating)
If ticket costs would prevent you from joining us, please reach out to Emily by email or call 802-388-3355 x301. We would love to have you join us!
Schedule for the Evening
- 4:30 p.m.: Doors Open & Connection Reception
- Meet old friends and make new ones as light refreshments are served, beverages may be purchased at the cash bar
- 5:15 p.m.: Program Begins
- More details will be announced in late spring
- 6:45 p.m.: Program Closes & Networking Continues
- No need to rush off, enjoy refreshments & cash bar until 7:30 p.m.
Featured Speaker
Shabana Basij-Rasikh, co-founded the School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) in 2008 while she was an undergraduate student at Middlebury College. SOLA, which translates to “peace” in the Pashtun language, began as the only all-girls boarding school in Afghanistan. In 2021, Basij-Rasikh destroyed any trace of SOLA’s records and evacuated every student, most of the staff, and their families to Rwanda. The school now draws Afghan girls from around the world, providing a rigorous education promoting critical thinking, a sense of purpose, and respect for self and others. They endeavor to make SOLA a place where Afghan girls can grow to become compassionate, curious, confident women.
Basij-Rasikh graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College and earned her master's in public policy from Oxford University. She also holds honorary doctorates from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, and Cedar Crest College. In 2019, Forbes named her to their 30 Under 30 Asia list as a social entrepreneur. In 2021, she joined the Washington Post’s Global Opinions page as a contributing columnist. She was named the 2023 Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year in recognition of her tireless efforts to ensure that Afghan girls and young women have access to education.
Before our event, you can learn more about Basij-Rasikh and the SOLA story in her 2021 TED Talk and in her original 2013 TED Talk, which introduced the world to her work.
Special thanks to Our Annual Sponsors
