Zahra Joyya: Women Under Taliban Rule Targeted with Intentional Violence
Zahra Joyya, journalist and founder of Rakhshana Media, stated at a UK parliamentary session on sexual violence linked to war and conflict that women and girls in Afghanistan under Taliban rule are deliberately subjected to harassment. She emphasized that this situation is particularly alarming for Hazara women.
The session, held on Wednesday, July 15, was organized by the Human Rights Institute of the International Bar Association and the Coalition to End Genocide in the UK. The main focus of the discussions was to examine the dimensions of sexual violence amid wars and explore legal responses to such violence.
Joyya, referring to extensive restrictions against women in Afghanistan, said the prevailing environment has paved the way for the continuation and expansion of gender-based violence. According to her, the absence of accountable structures and the deprivation of women’s access to justice have doubled their vulnerability.
Other speakers at the session warned that conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) remains among the most severe crimes during armed conflicts. While acknowledging advancements in international criminal law, they stressed that impunity often persists.
It was explained during the session that war-related violence can include sexual assault, sexual slavery, forced pregnancy, forced marriage, forced sterilization, and other forms of sexual violence connected to war and war crimes.
It was also noted, based on a United Nations report, that nearly 10,000 verified cases of war-related violence were recorded worldwide in 2025; a figure that underscores this phenomenon remains one of the serious challenges for the global community.
