Baharan Laheeb

Afghanistan – November 25 is not just a date on the calendar, but a symbol of a long struggle for human dignity, freedom, and the right to live without fear. While women worldwide face multiple forms of discrimination and violence, Afghan women are enduring one of the harshest historical periods.

Since the Taliban’s return to power, structural, legal, and social violence against women has escalated to unprecedented levels: girls’ education is banned, women are excluded from work and community participation, and public punishments, arbitrary arrests, torture, harassment, sexual assault, rape, systematic killings, and forced marriages are widespread. Suffocating restrictions have made daily life nearly impossible.

Under these harsh conditions, November 25 is more than a symbolic day—it is a voice for women who have been silenced or forced into silence, while their presence and resistance remain a constant source of inspiration. The day reminds the world that confronting violence against women is not an individual responsibility but a collective, global, and historical duty.

On this occasion, Yalda Ahmed, a psychologist and activist for Afghan women’s rights, stressed global solidarity: “Violence knows no boundaries, races, countries, gender, or religion. It is a harsh reality in every nation. In Palestine, women and children face multiple forms of daily violence and lose their lives; in Iran, women suffer various violations by the oppressive regime.”

Regarding the situation in Afghanistan and other countries, she said: “The most horrific forms of violence are experienced by my people, especially women, who live under the Taliban’s hateful and oppressive orders.”

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, she emphasized: “This day only gains its true meaning when everyone—women and men worldwide—stands united against violence. Through solidarity and joint resistance, we can continue the struggle together to end all forms of violence against women.”

Despite all challenges, women’s resistance in Afghanistan and around the world, alongside voices demanding justice like Yalda Ahmed’s, confirms that hope and struggle never fade. This day reminds us that ending violence against women can only be achieved through collective action by both women and men. The world needs broad solidarity, collective awareness, and joint efforts to build a future free from violence—a future in which women’s rights to life, education, work, and freedom are fully protected, without gender-based discrimination.