As the world marked the International Day of Conscience on April 5, some Afghan women and girls said the concept of conscience holds little meaning in a country where they have been stripped of basic rights under Taliban rule.
The United Nations observes the day as a time to reflect on one’s actions and to foster a more inclusive and compassionate world. “Every small step toward compassion makes a difference,” the U.N. said in its message commemorating the occasion.
But in Afghanistan, many women say such ideals feel out of reach.
“For nearly four years, we women and girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of all our rights, and no awakened conscience within the country has heard our voices,” said Nabila, a resident of Badghis Province. “We ask the world — as fellow human beings who also have human rights — not to forget us and to keep their consciences awake regarding the women of Afghanistan.”
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, they have imposed sweeping restrictions on women, barring them from most education, employment, and public life. Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that the group’s policies amount to gender persecution.
Footage circulated online on Friday appeared to show an Afghan woman defacing an image of Uzbekistan’s president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, while denouncing his government’s engagement with the Taliban. In the video, the activist accuses the Taliban of imprisoning and abusing women and condemns Mirziyoyev for supporting them.
“Shame on your conscience. You support and defend the Taliban who rape women in prison — you heartless hyena,” the woman says. “The Taliban are rapists, terrorists, ignorant and fanatical.”
Women’s rights advocates have called on the international community to refrain from legitimizing the Taliban and to continue pressing for accountability. Many fear that global engagement with the Taliban — including from regional powers — risks sidelining women’s issues altogether.
Afghanistan has endured more than four decades of conflict, but many rights observers say the current rollback of women’s freedoms under the Taliban is unprecedented in its scope and severity.
