Femena: Right, Peace, Inclusion

Femena: Right, Peace, Inclusion
Supporting WHRDs & progressive feminist movements in MENA & Asia.

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Alone but Determined: Afghan Women’s Ongoing Fight for Rights, Two Years After Taliban Rule

 

On August 15, 2021, Afghanistan collapsed into the hands of the Taliban following a failed and illegitimate peace process led by the United States, which excluded women and marginalized ethnic and religious groups, civil society, and media. As predicted by Afghan women, their hard-won rights vanished overnight. In the past two years, the Taliban has issued over 64 edicts aimed at eliminating women from public spaces. Afghanistan now stands as the only country in the world where women are banned from accessing most forms of formal education, employment, free movement, and even basic services like access parks, restaurants, and public baths. The women of Afghanistan have endured immense loss, pain, and suffering during these years, but they have also shown tireless resistance against the Taliban’s oppression. Despite being largely ignored and abandoned by the international community, the women of Afghanistan have courageously fought against the Taliban alone. On the second anniversary of Kabul’s fall, Femena has spoken to six women from different walks of life whose lives have been transformed since August 15, 2021, but whose commitment to fight for their rights has only grown stronger. These women, who are all members of Afghanistan’s Women Protester Movements Coalition, bravely share their personal stories of the day of the fall of Kabul and reflect on their journeys over the past two years. They recount the challenges, fear, and uncertainty they faced during those fateful moments and how their lives were forever changed.  Their stories serve as a testament to the indomitable spirit of Afghan women, who, even in the face of adversity, refuse to be silenced and continue to fight for their rights and equality.