A group of protesting women announced the formation of the Women’s Movement for Peace and Freedom to launch the civil struggle against the Taliban terrorist group.
On Saturday, April 15, 2023, they held a gathering in a roofed place where they declared the formation of the movement and publicly criticized the escalating brutality, torture, and killings of former government officials at the hands of the Taliban. The group also condemned the ongoing ban on women’s work and girls’ education by the Taliban. During the program, the members emphasized the need for a civil struggle to secure women’s rights and equality in Afghanistan.
The Women’s Movement for Peace and Freedom inaugurated their first protest program, with the slogan “Women, Revolution, Freedom”.
One of the key messages conveyed by the members of the movement was their criticism of the “silence of the international community” regarding the ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan. They called upon the United Nations and other countries that support human rights “to take a stand and honestly support the people of Afghanistan” in their fight for freedom and equality. The movement emphasized that the world cannot remain indifferent to the atrocities and human rights violations committed by the Taliban and that they must be held accountable for their actions.
In their statement, the protesting women drew attention to the dire situation in Afghanistan, stating that the country “has turned into a dungeon for its 30 million inhabitants under the Taliban’s rule.”
The statement cited numerous human rights violations, including widespread poverty, starvation, immigration, Implementation of the policy of women’s exclusion, forced displacement of indigenous people in some provinces, the brutal killing of former government officials, and the mass killing of people in war zones. The movement emphasized that these acts are anti-human crimes committed by the Taliban, and called for a civil struggle against their oppressive rule.
During the gathering, the protesting women highlighted the severe impact of the Taliban’s actions on women, stating that the group’s “repeated and weekly orders to restrict women have turned Afghanistan into a large prison for women.”
Parwana Ebrahimkhel, the general chairwoman of the Women’s Movement for Peace and Freedom, told the media that the movement was created to support human rights, with a particular focus on the rights of women and girls. She also highlighted the importance of strengthening protest circles against extremism and gender apartheid.
The Women’s Movement for Peace and Freedom demanded the immediate release of Alia Azizi, the former head of Herat Women’s Prison, Musa Shahin, Matiullah Wesa, and other prisoners being held by the Taliban without any charges. The movement expressed grave concern over the inhumane treatment of these individuals and called for an end to the widespread human rights violations taking place in Afghanistan.
The Women’s Movement for Peace and Freedom is just one of many women’s protest movements and civil protests that are expanding in response to the Taliban’s oppressive rule.
Recently, an alliance of the Women’s Protest Movements in Kabul, Bamyan, Badakhshan, and Takhar launched, and the Women’s Justice Movement of Afghanistan also Launched Its activities in Herat, Parwan, Daikundi, and Jawzjan provinces.
In the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, dozens of women’s movements have emerged to confront the group’s Male-centric and tribal policies. Through various protest programs, these movements have shown and stated the hate and disgust experienced under the Taliban’s rule, calling on international organizations not to ignore the group’s atrocities and not to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
