JOHANNESBURG — A delegation of exiled Afghan women is visiting South Africa this week to share their stories of life under Taliban rule and to seek solidarity in their campaign against “gender apartheid”, local media reported on Tuesday.
The delegation, supported by the Malala Fund, the End Gender Apartheid Campaign, the Civic Engagement Project and Lawyers for Human Rights, has been engaging with South African human rights activists, members of the judiciary, and civil society leaders through a series of roundtable discussions.
At a forum hosted by the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg, panelists included Professor Thuli Madonsela, Professor Farid Esack, Judge Margie Victor, and members of the Afghan delegation.
Horia, an activist and human rights defender for nearly 30 years, described the Taliban’s rule in Afghanistan as a “silent tsunami,” warning that the Taliban’s treatment of women should not be mistaken for Islam. “In Afghanistan, women found guilty of so-called ‘moral crimes’ are subjected to public beatings, torture, and imprisonment,” she said.
Horia emphasized that the Afghan women’s delegation hopes to draw lessons from South Africa’s experience of resistance under apartheid, particularly the role played by the judiciary, civil society, and media in fighting systemic oppression.
“We will remember the words of our enemies. We will remember the silence of our friends,” Horia said during the roundtable, calling for greater international support for Afghan women’s rights.
The visit comes as Afghan women’s rights have deteriorated dramatically since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, with sweeping restrictions imposed on education, work, and public life for women and girls.
