In Afghanistan, women have faced inequality since the regime of the Taliban. They are denied access to education, restricted from entering the workforce, and are often unable to leave home or express their ideas freely.

Since 2021, Afghan women have been banned from secondary and higher education. They are excluded from workplaces and public life. Nearly 80% have no access to formal education, and less than 10% are employed.
But the greater tragedy? The world is no longer watching.

This campaign aims to restore visibility because when you can see, you can stand.

• The Taliban take over Afghanistan in August 2021 and claimed to respect women's rights within the framework of Islamic law.

• In September, the Ministry of Education in Afghanistan announced that male and female students would be segregated by gender and that females would be required to wear an ‘Islamic dress code’.

• A ban on women travelling long distances unaccompanied by a male guardian was imposed in December.

• Compulsory for women to wear the burqa or at least the hijab in public.

• The reopening of secondary schools (grades 7-12) to girls, scheduled for 23 March 2022, was temporarily halted by the Taliban, who stated that it needed to be ‘reassessed by Islamic law’.

• On 7 May, Afghanistan's Supreme Leader, Akhundzada, issued a decree that all women must wear the burqa (a full body covering that leaves only the eyes visible) in public places or their male relatives will be punished.

• At the end of the year, women were banned from parks, gyms, and public bathrooms. They are also banned from working in non-governmental organisations (NGOS) and from attending university, effective immediately.

• Expanded work restrictions in 2023 will bar women from most government jobs and affect many private sector jobs.

• Female television journalists are forced to wear veils, and several female presenters have been dismissed.

Females in Afghanistan have one of the lowest statuses on the planet. Their rights to study and work are being taken away. They have no right to the use of their bodies and voices. They have to wear a burqa all over their bodies because they cannot expose any skin in front of the public. And talk to others without permission.

Not only are their rights threatened, but also their safety is threatened. Women are not legally able to file separate lawsuits, divorce, or seek custody. Forced and child marriages have proliferated. Women can only be seen by female doctors, but many do not receive basic treatment due to a shortage of female medical personnel. Some hospitals have even been ordered to segregate female patients.

Retaliatory detentions, beatings, and enforced disappearances occurred in large numbers, especially by female former government officials, teachers, police officers, and family members of military personnel. Punishments such as flogging and stoning are inflicted on women by the Taliban's internal courts, often without legal procedures.

The Taliban's imposition of human rights oppression on Afghan women is systematic and multidimensional, affecting their rights to education, work, freedom of travel, legal status and personal security. This has not only deprived them of their freedom, but has also deprived the entire country of the participation and contribution of half of its population.

Therefore, our campaign aims to establish awareness among the public to understand their situation. We hope that through our campaign, people can realise that their lives and rights also matter to us. As a part of the planet, we all should pay more attention and provide more assistance to others. Together, make the world a better place.