Afghan women’s rights organizations in the Netherlands commemorated the 126th birth anniversary of Queen Soraya, a historic advocate for women’s education and reform in Afghanistan.
The event was organized jointly by the Afghan Women’s Solidarity Association and Women in Priority, according to a statement released by the groups. It featured a gathering of Afghan activists, students, cultural figures, and women’s rights advocates, many of whom also used the occasion to protest violence against women.
Speakers at the event said Afghan women today are deprived of their basic human and Islamic rights, but continue to draw inspiration from Queen Soraya’s legacy of resistance and reform.
Queen Soraya, wife of King Amanullah Khan, is regarded as a pioneer of women’s rights in Afghanistan. In the early 20th century, she played a leading role in promoting girls’ education, women’s participation in public life, and cultural reform. She founded the country’s first girls’ school in Kabul and launched Afghanistan’s first women’s magazine.
As an influential figure in her husband’s reformist administration, Queen Soraya also helped introduce laws banning child marriage and polygamy, and served as Minister of Culture, working to advance progressive social policies.
Her legacy remains a symbol of progress for many Afghans, particularly amid the current restrictions on women’s rights under the Taliban regime.
