GENEVA: Afghan taekwondo athlete and women’s rights activist Marzia Hamidi has received the 2026 International Women’s Rights Prize at the 18th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy, in recognition of her advocacy for Afghan women. The award was presented on Wednesday in honor of her continued commitment to defending women’s rights in Afghanistan. Hamidi relocated to France after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Over the past four years, the Taliban have barred women from working in many government institutions and prohibited girls above the sixth grade from attending school, as well as universities have also been closed to female students. Women and girls in Afghanistan have additionally been banned from sports clubs, parks, and public bathhouses, and are not permitted to travel long distances without a male guardian. Despite the expanding restrictions, the Taliban administration maintains that women’s rights are being upheld within what it describes as the framework of Islamic law.
