The Afghanistan Women’s Freedom Movement said on International Women’s Day that March 8 serves as a reminder of the deep suffering, historical wounds, and unequal struggle faced by women in Afghanistan. In a statement, the movement said Afghan women remain standing amid exclusion, fear, and repression, but have not been broken. It added that under the rule of the Taliban, women face deprivation of education and employment, social exclusion, threats, imprisonment, and structural violence simply because they are women. The movement stressed that despite increasing pressure, the determination of Afghan women has not weakened and their voices cannot be silenced. It also reaffirmed that the struggle for freedom, human dignity, and equality will continue until women achieve their fundamental rights. Meanwhile, dozens of women’s protest movements marked March 8 by condemning the Taliban’s restrictive policies and calling for an end to what they describe as “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan.
