Afghan women defy Taliban ban with closed-door protest

Kabul, Dec 2 (EFE).- A group of Afghan women on Thursday held a protest behind closed doors in Kabul, demanding that their rights be respected, despite the Taliban’s suppression of demonstrations.

The protest, organized by the activist group Afghan Women’s Unity and Solidarity Team with the demands of “justice, education and work,” was attended by dozens of women inside a building in the Afghan capital.

Footage of women chanting slogans demanding freedom and shouting “we want justice” was circulated by the protesters in the media, despite the Islamist regime’s restrictions.

“Again, a large number of women whose voices for justice have been repeatedly suppressed, inevitably conducted the protest at the indoor place in order to not face harm and violence by the Emirate (the Taliban),” a member of the protesting team told EFE.

Women across the country, but mainly in Kabul, have for months protested demanding education and the right to work since the Taliban seized control of the country on Aug. 15.

However, the regime has not responded to their demands, and reversed many of the gains made by women over the years.

The condition of Afghan women has been one of the main concerns of the international community after the Taliban takeover.

“For three months we have been demanding our ights, but what we have received is only flogging and whipping by the government,” one of the protesters, Marjan Amiri, told EFE.

Fears linked to the return of the oppressive regime, dating back to the first Taliban rule, have spread across the country.

Activists and members of the civil society have warned that this is a vital moment to raise one’s voice in this regard.