Women in Afghanistan call on Taliban for full rights on International Women's Day

Mar 08, 2024

Kabul [Afghanistan], March 9 : On the occasion of International Women's Day, women in Afghanistan have called on the Taliban to "ensure their rights" fully, according to TOLOnews.
According to them, women and girls in the nation face significant obstacles as a result of not being able to work or receive education.
Wajiha, a 22-year-old Afghan girl, has stated that she aims to attend a university or institution only for ladies and to have the freedom to work for herself.
"It is International Women's Day, and we urge the Islamic Emirate to remove restrictions on women and allow them to study, learn, and work," she said.
During distinct events commemorating the occasion, a few women in the capital made a request to the Taliban for significant engagement and participation in society.
"As half of the society, with a significant number of women and journalists representing this half today, each working in a media outlet is the voice of a woman whose voice is not heard from the farthest corners of Afghanistan," said Shabnam, a journalist, according to TOLOnews.
Meanwhile, Fazila, a women's rights activist, said, "Women who are present inside Afghanistan, you are not ordinary women, and congratulations on this day for you are different than congratulations in other countries."
Despite the Taliban's initial promise to take a moderate approach towards women's rights after it seized power in August 2021, the ban on higher education is just one of many steps that the armed group has taken to further segregate the country and limit women's role in society.
In the immediate aftermath of August 2021, the Taliban banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade and imposed strict rules requiring women to wear hijabs and to travel only with a male chaperone.
They closed down beauty salons and blocked women from working with domestic and international non-governmental aid groups, sparking international outrage on the matter.