Afghan Migrants in Canada Protest Taliban Policies, Demand Action for Women’s Rights
Dozens of Afghan migrants living in Canada held a protest rally in front of the Canadian Parliament in Ottawa, urging the international community and the Canadian government to take immediate and practical measures to support Afghan women and girls. Participants emphasized that the ongoing restrictions and suppression by the Taliban administration have deprived millions of women of their most basic human rights.
The gathering took place on Sunday (June 21) and concluded with the organizers issuing a resolution calling on world countries to use all legitimate political and legal means to compel the Taliban administration to respect human rights and international commitments.
Protesters referred to the violent suppression of a women’s civil assembly in the Jebrail neighborhood of Herat and the arrest of several protesting women as an example of ‘targeted and systematic oppression’ against women. According to them, Afghan women have been deprived of education, work, and social participation not because of committing any crime but solely on the basis of their gender.
Participants in the protest also demanded recognition of the current situation in Afghanistan as ‘gender apartheid’ and expressed concern over efforts by some countries to normalize relations with the Taliban administration. They warned that silence and appeasement in the face of widespread human rights violations will neither bring stability nor lasting peace but will instead pave the way for the expansion of injustice.
Following the events in Jebrail, Herat, a wave of protests by Afghan migrants has arisen in various countries. In recent weeks, more than ten cities across Europe and other parts of the world have also held gatherings in support of Afghan women, with participants calling for concrete international action to halt the increasing restrictions imposed by the Taliban administration.
