“I speak for all the Afghan women who have lost their voices”
Urgent debate on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan since August 2021
50th session of the Human Rights Council
Thank you Mr President.
Today, I’m speaking out for all the Afghan women who have lost their voices.
The Taliban promised that this time would be different. It is not. Women have been wiped out of the public spaces. Our cities are full of billboards calling women who don’t wear burqa “ugly animals”. Children are being sold, raped, tortured, and forced into marriage. Most women rights defenders, including myself, have been forced to flee the country and leave everything behind. Around 15 million women and girls have been left with no rights, freedom, or hope for the future.
But I still have hope because, despite unspeakable abuses and injustice, we, Afghan women don’t give up. However, we cannot succeed alone. We need you to take our side to fight for a better future. I urge you not to abandon us and to send a clear message to the Taliban: the international community stands with Afghan women and girls.
Even in the silence, our screaming for help has never been louder.
Thank you.
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