As the third anniversary of the country’s fall to the Taliban approaches, an activists’ movement, the Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Network, in a statement on Wednesday said August 15, 2021, was a “dark and ominous” day for the people of Afghanistan.
“This is the day the world handed Afghanistan over to the Taliban, destroying the lives, futures, and destinies of its citizens,” the movement said.
The statement emphasized that the current situation for Afghan women under Taliban rule has reached its “most critical point.”
“On August 15, 2021, a shadow of ignorance was cast over Afghanistan,” the statement continued.
The movement described the day as “a symbol of the unjust transfer of power to a terrorist group,” representing the collapse of the hopes and dreams of innocent Afghan citizens.
The movement urged that this day serve as a reminder for Afghans to unite, show solidarity, and stand together to reclaim freedom, justice, and human rights.
“This ongoing unstable situation must not persist, and Afghanistan should not be forgotten,” the activists said.
Since the Taliban seized power in mid-August 2021, women have been deprived of their basic rights, facing issues such as domestic violence, forced marriages, gender discrimination, and lack of access to higher education.
“Suicide rates among young Afghan women have increased, which is a worrying trend,” the activists noted.
Members of the network pointed out that under the Taliban’s rule, “gender apartheid” is evident and pronounced.
Furthermore, in nearly three years of Taliban rule, female students have been banned from participating in university entrance exams, which have been conducted without a single female student across Afghanistan.
