Women

Activists call for urgent action on women’s rights violations in Afghanistan

The Purple Saturdays Movement, a women’s rights activist group in Afghanistan, issued a statement on Wednesday, urging the United Nations, the international community and human rights organizations to take “immediate and decisive action” against severe rights violations in the country.

The movement highlighted the critical situation of women facing “unjust arrests” by the Taliban for so-called dress code violations.

“Women in Afghanistan are undergoing a series of human rights abuses, including arrests for wearing hijabs, imprisonment, forced marriages, and even sexual assault in prisons,” the group stated.

According to the movement, women in Afghanistan are being stripped of fundamental rights, including education, employment, and freedom of movement. These actions, they warn, constitute serious crimes against humanity and the situation is worsening, the movement said.

The Purple Saturdays Movement issued a dire warning about the increasingly perilous circumstances facing women in Afghanistan.

It called for urgent intervention from the United Nations, the international community, and human rights groups to avert a humanitarian disaster.

The situation demands immediate global solidarity and action to prevent further atrocities against women. “Swift intervention and support are crucial to protect their rights and lives and to avoid a humanitarian crisis. We urge prompt action from the global community,” the movement added.

Taliban has imposed various restrictions on women’s rights in Afghanistan since August 2021. In a latest action, Taliban has detained dozens of women in Kabul and Daikundi provinces over so-called dress code violations.