The Purple Saturdays Movement, a women’s rights advocacy group, has called on the United Nations and the international community to reassess their stance toward the Taliban.
In a statement, the movement urged the U.N. and international community to “reconsider any form of support to the Taliban,” arguing that such support “inherently violates the fundamental rights of women in Afghanistan.”
The statement highlighted the severe restrictions imposed on Afghan women since the Taliban’s takeover of the country. “The regime has re-imposed draconian measures that bar women from education, employment, and participation in public life,” it stated. “Reports of forced marriages, sexual assault in Taliban prisons, domestic violence, and severe penalties for minor infractions have become distressingly common.”
The group argued that any form of recognition or support—whether economic, diplomatic, or otherwise—legitimizes a regime fundamentally opposed to women’s rights. “Recognition of the Taliban undermines human rights. Engaging with the Taliban sends a message that the international community is willing to overlook gross human rights violations in exchange for geopolitical stability,” the statement read.
The movement further asserted that financial aid or economic cooperation with the Taliban can indirectly fund mechanisms of oppression, making it harder for Afghan women to fight for their rights. It noted that “recognition or engagement can be seen as an endorsement of the Taliban’s governance.”
This call to action follows a recent U.N.-hosted Doha meeting on Afghanistan that excluded women and girls from the main agendas of the negotiations.
