In a statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a rights movement says violence against women in Afghanistan has effectively become “law,” and discrimination “a culture,” under Taliban rule.
The Freedom Lantern Movement of Afghan Women said violence against women in the country remains “systematic, deep and unprecedented.”
The group said that since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, women and girls have been stripped of nearly all basic rights, including education, employment, public participation and what it described as “even the simple right to breathe freely.” It added: “In a country where being a woman is treated as a crime, violence becomes law and discrimination becomes culture.”
The movement said it observes the international day as “a symbol of resistance to misogyny, gender apartheid and systematic violence.”
“Violence against women is not only a clear violation of human rights; it is an obstacle to development, justice and lasting peace in every society,” the statement said. “In Afghanistan, this violence appears in the form of forced marriages, physical and psychological abuse, torture, honor killings and the complete removal of women from public life. No religious, cultural or political justification for this violence is acceptable.”
The group called on the international community and human rights organizations not to remain silent about what it described as “Taliban crimes,” urging them to move beyond political engagement with the Taliban and take concrete actions to support Afghan women.
Since retaking power in August 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls, including banning them from secondary and higher education, most jobs, parks, gyms, beauty salons and many public spaces. The United Nations has described these policies as “gender-based apartheid” and warned they may amount to crimes against humanity under international law.
The International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed globally on Nov. 25. The date commemorates the brutal 1960 assassination of the Mirabal sisters, three political activists in the Dominican Republic, and is meant to raise awareness of violence against women and mobilize efforts to end it.
