March 8th: Afghan Women: Stronger Together with Solidarity

Bayan News – In their messages on the occasion of International Women’s Day, a group of Afghan women and girls emphasize that freedom and equality make the world a better and fairer place.

March 8th arrives as Afghan women and girls have faced severe social and political restrictions in the past year and a half. The main limitations include the ban on girls’ education, restrictions on women’s work, and limitations on the free movement of women and girls.

Tahereh Faizi, a social media user, congratulates women on International Women’s Day and writes that all women who have stood up and fought for their fundamental rights should be celebrated. She further states that equal freedoms make the current world better and fairer.

Similarly, Saghar Shayyan, another social media user, remarks that women and girls can support their own human rights and the rights of women worldwide through unity and support for each other in all fields. She writes, “Women will be stronger and more successful through solidarity, unity, and greater support for each other.”

Nargis Nahan, a women’s rights activist, praises the support and struggles of Afghan women and girls, considering them miraculous. On her Facebook page, she writes, “I speak of women whose name is synonymous with a miracle.”

Unilateral detentions of women should stop

Richard Bent, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights, has called on the Taliban to unconditionally and immediately release detained women on the occasion of International Women’s Day. In his statement, he adds that he stands alongside Afghan women and girls who face systematic discrimination.

The UN Special Rapporteur commends the courage, creativity, and leadership of Afghan women activists and emphasizes that the Taliban must respect all human rights of women and girls in the country, including their right to education and work.

However, while International Women’s Day was warmly celebrated in Afghanistan over the past 20 years, no commemoration has taken place in the past two years. The Taliban has imposed strict social restrictions on women and girls in their actions, and at the same time, Taliban officials have consistently stated that women’s issues are internal matters and that the international community should not interfere.