RASC News Agency: The Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Network, in a statement commemorating August 15, the third anniversary of what they term “Afghanistan’s surrender to the Taliban,” has declared this date a “dark day for the Afghanistani people” and “a symbol of the unjust transfer of power to a terrorist group, signifying the collapse of the hopes and aspirations of 36 million Afghanistani citizens.”
The Network underscores that August 15 marks a grim chapter in the nation’s history. The Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Network further calls for unity, solidarity, and collective action to reclaim freedom, justice, and human rights as a means of commemorating this tragic day. According to the statement, August 15 serves as a reminder to the world that the current, precarious situation must not persist, that Afghanistan must not be forgotten, and that a robust global movement is necessary, along with serious dialogue and decisive actions to restore Afghanistan’s freedom.
The Network asserts that women under the Taliban’s regime are among the most oppressed in the world. Highlighting the severe challenges and adversities, particularly those confronting women, the Network notes that the situation of Afghanistani women under the Taliban has reached its most critical juncture. Women have been deprived of their fundamental rights and are now grappling with issues such as domestic violence, forced marriages, gender discrimination, and lack of access to education and employment.
In its statement, the Afghanistan Women’s Political Participation Network reports that since the Taliban’s ascent to power, more than 65 written decrees, alongside numerous unwritten orders and draconian regulations, have been issued, resulting in widespread restrictions and persecution, particularly targeting women and girls. Moreover, the Network contends that the Taliban, through their establishment of kangaroo courts, proxy wars, massacres, and sexual violence, have demonstrated themselves to be a threat not only to Afghanistan but to global security.
According to the statement, the looting of innocent citizens’ properties, the forced resettlement of Afghanistani locals with Pakistani nomads in the northern provinces, and the spread of terror and forced displacements underscore the Taliban’s grave threat to the future of Afghanistan and the world. The Network’s women emphasize that “the world must recognize that the people of Afghanistan do not accept the Taliban. We stand united under the banners of education, work, and freedom, and we will continue to fight against darkness and ignorance until Afghanistan is liberated.”
The Taliban, in August 2021, effortlessly entered Kabul without resistance, declaring their “victory as the ultimate conquest and the end of American occupation of Afghanistan.” However, the Women’s Political Participation Network maintains that the international community effectively abandoned Afghanistan to the Taliban. According to a report by the International Organization for Migration, “since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghanistan’s economy has significantly deteriorated, and hunger has increased to the extent that over half of the population is living in hunger, with nearly 36% lacking sufficient food.”
The report also reveals that since 2020, nearly eight million people have fled Afghanistan to neighboring countries and Europe, within the year before the Taliban’s takeover and during the three years of their rule.
