Applause as Afghan women fight back a hostile regime
Afghan burqa-clad women stage a protest for their rights at a beauty salon in the Shahr-e-Naw area of Kabul on July 19, 2023. Afghanistan's Taliban authorities ordered beauty parlours across the country to shut within a month.
What you need to know:
- Taliban has decreed more than 50 edicts restricting girls and women’s freedom, including access to education and work.
- Women are, however, resisting the oppression through street and indoor protests.
“I call on all actors to join us in supporting Afghan women in every way.”
This is a call to action by United Nations (UN) Women executive director Sima Bahous, marking two years since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan.
The ruthless Islamic group hasdecreed more than 50 edicts restricting girls and women’s freedom, including access to education and work.
Ms Bahous said the blatant violation of Afghan women’s rights has a drop-down effect on everyone in the world.
“These are our sisters. They are suffering. We cannot and must not accept this. It must end now,” she said in a statement.
Afghan Witness (AW) has documented 188 cases of women being killed by family members, unknown perpetrators, and Taliban members in the January 15, 2022-July 20, 2023 period.
AW is a project of the Centre for Information Resilience, which independently collects, preserves and verifies information on human rights incidents and current events in Afghanistan.
The researchers, who used open source data, recorded 3,329 cases of human rights abuses since January 15, 2022, relating to infringements of the right to life, right to freedom from torture, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and women’s rights.
Women are, however, resisting the oppression through street and indoor protests. According to the report, women have held nearly 70 street demonstrations since August 2021. They have also held 84 indoor protests between March 1, 2023, and June 27, 2023.
Ms Bahous, however, lauded the Afghan women for their daring push against a hostile system.
“In the face of the most hostile of circumstances, they speak out against the violations, deliver lifesaving services, own and operate businesses, and run women’s organisations. Their bravery must inspire us to greater action, their example to renewed determination,” she said.
