On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Supreme Council of National Resistance honors and appreciates the courage, resilience, and important role of women in building a more humane and just society. Women around the world, through their hard work, sacrifice, and hope, have formed the fundamental pillars of families and societies and have made great contributions to the progress, awareness, and development of communities. This day provides an opportunity to emphasize the importance of equality, human dignity, and the fundamental rights of women.
However, the women of Afghanistan commemorate International Women’s Day while living through one of the most difficult and darkest periods in the country’s history. Widespread and unacceptable restrictions on education, employment, and social participation have directly affected the lives of millions of women and girls and have subjected them to numerous hardships. More than two million girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of the right to education beyond the sixth grade. Afghanistan is currently the only country where girls are banned from secondary and university education. More than fifteen million women in the country are directly affected by the misogynistic policies of the Taliban, and every day new self-imposed decrees by this group are added to further eliminate women from all spheres of life. Despite all these hardships, the brave women of Afghanistan continue to struggle with patience, hope, and strong determination to preserve human dignity and secure a better future.
The Supreme Council of Resistance expresses its solidarity with the women of Afghanistan and calls on the international community to make responsible and serious efforts to support their fundamental rights, including the right to education, the right to work, and participation in society. We believe that without the active and equal participation of women, achieving peace, justice, prosperity, sustainable progress, and advancement in Afghanistan will not be possible.