Women’s Global Solidarity with the Women of Afghanistan
22Ağustos2021,Pazar
Women’s Platform for Equality (EŞİK) organized an online meeting on August 19, 2021, to discuss the ways for solidarity with the women of Afghanistan. More than 300 feminists, activists, and journalists from Afghanistan, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Iran, Turkey and the USA attended the meeting.
Two days after this meeting where it was agreed to continue organizing the meetings for solidarity at the global level, a second meeting was organized on August 21, 2021. More than 200 women from 22 countries in 5 continents attended the meeting. Women participating from Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Eswatini, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, and the USA, expressed their determination of solidarity and discussed their proposals for global action.
As in the first meeting, the women who spoke at the second meeting underlined the fact that the destiny of women in Afghanistan and the world is interconnected and that there is an attack on women’s rights all over the world. One of the participants, who has been secretly home-educated at the high school level in Afghanistan said that her school was burned down by the Taliban and added that the women in Afghanistan are currently not admitted to the universities. She added that a female anchor was banned from entering the state TV building and that they were unable to establish contact with several women they knew. Another participant shared that the Taliban threatens them by saying “The foreign forces will leave within 20 days and then you will get what you deserve!” She stated that the Taliban is currently pursuing a policy of distracting the world and appearing “moderate,” but that the peoples of Afghanistan will resist the Taliban administration against human rights violations that may occur in a very short time.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
It was underlined at the meeting that the NATO occupation led by the USA, which lasted for twenty years, did not bring peace or democracy to the peoples of Afghanistan. It was emphasized that the USA and its allies, who created and supported the Taliban throughout the 1980s, who ignored the inhuman and misogynistic oppression that the Taliban continued in the 1990s, continue to make the people of Afghanistan pay for their imperialist projects. The participating women emphasized that the Taliban administration poses a huge threat primarily for the women and children as well as for all the people of Afghanistan and they called all women in the world to put pressure on their governments and take action before there is a bloodbath on the streets.
Pointing out the responsibility of countries that supply weapons to criminal organizations such as the Taliban, the women said they want “disarmament and peace.” Emphasizing that the imperial powers have turned the world into hell for their interest, the participating women indicated it is high time to say “enough is enough” and to demand for real change more loudly and in a more organized way. They repeatedly emphasized the indispensable importance of secularism for women and societies to live freely and in peace.
These global solidarity meetings with women of Afghanistan, which were organized upon the call of Women’s Platform for Equality and with the participation of women activists and women’s organizations from many countries will continue and efforts to create a women’s global network will be initiated immediately.
Women’s Global Solidarity with the Women of Afghanistan
Women’s Platform for Equality (EŞİK) organized an online meeting on August 19, 2021, to discuss the ways for solidarity with the women of Afghanistan. More than 300 feminists, activists, and journalists from Afghanistan, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Iran, Turkey and the USA attended the meeting.
Two days after this meeting where it was agreed to continue organizing the meetings for solidarity at the global level, a second meeting was organized on August 21, 2021. More than 200 women from 22 countries in 5 continents attended the meeting. Women participating from Afghanistan, Australia, Brazil, Britain, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Eswatini, France, Greece, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Philippines, South Africa, Turkey, and the USA, expressed their determination of solidarity and discussed their proposals for global action.
As in the first meeting, the women who spoke at the second meeting underlined the fact that the destiny of women in Afghanistan and the world is interconnected and that there is an attack on women’s rights all over the world. One of the participants, who has been secretly home-educated at the high school level in Afghanistan said that her school was burned down by the Taliban and added that the women in Afghanistan are currently not admitted to the universities. She added that a female anchor was banned from entering the state TV building and that they were unable to establish contact with several women they knew. Another participant shared that the Taliban threatens them by saying “The foreign forces will leave within 20 days and then you will get what you deserve!” She stated that the Taliban is currently pursuing a policy of distracting the world and appearing “moderate,” but that the peoples of Afghanistan will resist the Taliban administration against human rights violations that may occur in a very short time.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!
It was underlined at the meeting that the NATO occupation led by the USA, which lasted for twenty years, did not bring peace or democracy to the peoples of Afghanistan. It was emphasized that the USA and its allies, who created and supported the Taliban throughout the 1980s, who ignored the inhuman and misogynistic oppression that the Taliban continued in the 1990s, continue to make the people of Afghanistan pay for their imperialist projects. The participating women emphasized that the Taliban administration poses a huge threat primarily for the women and children as well as for all the people of Afghanistan and they called all women in the world to put pressure on their governments and take action before there is a bloodbath on the streets.
Pointing out the responsibility of countries that supply weapons to criminal organizations such as the Taliban, the women said they want “disarmament and peace.” Emphasizing that the imperial powers have turned the world into hell for their interest, the participating women indicated it is high time to say “enough is enough” and to demand for real change more loudly and in a more organized way. They repeatedly emphasized the indispensable importance of secularism for women and societies to live freely and in peace.
These global solidarity meetings with women of Afghanistan, which were organized upon the call of Women’s Platform for Equality and with the participation of women activists and women’s organizations from many countries will continue and efforts to create a women’s global network will be initiated immediately.
Long Live Women’s Global Solidarity!
EŞİK – Women’s Platform for Equality
August 22, 2021
info@esikplatform.net