Patricia Lalonde is co-founder and General Manager of the NGO ‘Mobilization for Elected Woman in Afghanistan’ (MEWA). She is also an associate researcher at IPSE (Institut Prospective et Sécurité en Europe) and is specialised in women’s rights in Arab countries. She is vice-president of the think tank Geopragma, where she heads up the organisation’s European working group.

Ms Lalonde has authored a number of books; including Paris-Kaboul: Portrait d’une femme révoltée and Abdullah Abdullah: L’Afghan qui dit non aux mollahs.

She has been a champion of women’s rights, and organised a conference with the NGO ‘Negar’ in Dushanbe (Tajikistan) to help Afghan women draft a charter for women’s rights.