30/09/2026
Statement by Afghanistan Women’s Protest Movements and Civil Society Activists
We followed closely the speech by Ms. Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan.
We welcome Uzbekistan’s progress in women’s political participation, including women holding 38% of parliamentary seats.
But we are deeply disappointed by the silence on the situation of the women and girls of Afghanistan.
For more than five years, women and girls in Afghanistan have been denied education, university, employment, freedom of movement, and participation in public life.
Afghanistan cannot be discussed only through economic cooperation, trade, transit routes, and regional security. The systematic exclusion and repression of women must also be addressed.
Silence in the face of gender apartheid is not neutrality. It can contribute to normalization.
We therefore call on Uzbekistan and countries in the region to:
• Publicly condemn the bans on education, higher education, and employment for women and girls of Afghanistan.
• Ensure engagement with the Taliban respects international and human rights obligations.
• Support efforts to recognize gender apartheid as a crime under international law.
• Expand scholarships and online and in-person education for women and girls of Afghanistan.
• Ensure the meaningful and direct participation of women of Afghanistan in all discussions about the country’s future.
Regional cooperation and security are important. But lasting stability is impossible when half of Afghanistan’s population is excluded.
Solidarity among women knows no borders.
We call on women leaders around the world to use their voices and positions to defend the rights of the women and girls of Afghanistan.
Their rights must not be sacrificed for economic, security, or geopolitical interests.
