Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the living situation of women in Afghanistan has been affected beyond all measure. Women and girls suffer from a lack of freedom, a lack of access to education starting from the seventh grade and to universities, to recreational and medical facilities … New violent attacks on women and girls in the country are reported almost daily. In addition, there is the humanitarian catastrophe that hits women and children particularly hard.

Women’s rights activists in Afghanistan are also under massive threat, and their work for equal rights and education is massively restricted or driven underground. Nevertheless, Afghan women continue to fight against Taliban violence and demonstrate loudly on the country’s streets under the slogan “Bread, Work, Freedom,” also in solidarity with their sisters in Iran. The Afghan cultural association AKIS wants to support this struggle and organizes this network meeting of Afghan women from the European diaspora and Canada in cooperation with VIDC and the Danish Refugee Council. Among others, peace researcher Heela Najibullah will contribute to the conference.

Excerpt from original article by VIDC, dated March 11, 2023.