Members of the Powerful Afghan Women’s Movement have criticized the absence of female athletes from the 2024 Paris Olympics, condemning the international community’s silence on the Taliban’s oppressive measures as “shameful.”
In a statement, the women movement said the Taliban has prohibited female athletes from participating in the Paris Olympics.
The movement expressed frustration over the global community’s lack of response, stating, “While the Taliban have systematically excluded women from all spheres and violated basic rights, particularly the right to participate in sports, the international community has remained silent.”
The movement further described the global silence as “shameful” and tantamount to “collaboration with the Taliban.” They urged the international community to take immediate and serious action on the matter.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, they have stripped women and girls of their fundamental rights, imposing severe restrictions on various aspects of their lives. The Taliban have banned girls above sixth grade from continuing their education and have closed university doors to female students.
Additionally, in nearly three years of Taliban rule, girls have been barred from taking the nationwide university entrance exams, which were held without a single female participant across Afghanistan.
