Afghan women's voices

And yes, 'setback' is an unfortunate accident, not deliberate crimes committed against women and girls.

I am pretty staggered Lammy got made FS, really. He doesn't have the brains or the gravitas.

Amazing courage.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c70jp1yy7wjo.amp

Embassy closing. Further isolating Afghanistan internationally.

'“I believe that when it comes to aid, the world should continue helping Afghanistan. But when it comes to talking to the Taliban, there should be a rule that in each discussion women must be present. And if that can’t happen, they [the international community] should stop talking to them,” psychologist Karina said.
“The world must care about what’s happening with Afghan women, because if it doesn’t this mentality could easily spread to them, to their homes.”'

'“When I learnt about the new law, I decided not to attend the course any more. Because if I go out, I’ll end up speaking and then something bad might happen. Maybe I won’t return home safely. But then my mother encouraged me to continue.”
In the three years since the Taliban takeover, it's become clear that even if edicts aren’t strictly imposed, people start self-regulating out of fear. Women continue to be visible in small numbers on the streets of cities like Kabul, but nearly all of them now are covered from head to toe in loose black clothes or dark blue burqas, and most of them cover their faces with only their eyes visible, the impact of a decree announced last year.
“Every moment you feel like you’re in a prison. Even breathing has become difficult here," said Nausheen, an activist.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgedlz5wx88o

Sorry to add to this thread.

Unfolding disaster of starving children in Afghanistan:

'Up until August 2021, international funds given directly to the previous government funded nearly all public healthcare in Afghanistan.

When the Taliban took over, the money was stopped because of international sanctions against them. This triggered a healthcare collapse. Aid agencies stepped in to provide what was meant to be a temporary emergency response.

It was always an unsustainable solution, and now, in a world distracted by so much else, funding for Afghanistan has shrunk. Equally, the Taliban government’s policies, specifically its restrictions on women, have meant that donors are hesitant to give funds.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj35611ngyro

It's unbelievable.

The social media is all merrily supporting both teams. Not a fucking word about the women of Afghanistan. They really don't fucking care, do they?

Shame on New Zealand for playing Afghanistan. I can't actually believe all these men are smiling away, playing fucking cricket with each other, while women are imprisoned and silenced in Afghanistan.

https://x.com/ACBofficials

[email protected]

This is the email for the ICC .

I encourage women to write to tell them to remove Afghanistan as a member.

'The Anti-Discrimination Policy ... one of the toughest in world sport - confirms a level of commitment from the ICC and its Members to promote and encourage participation at all levels regardless of race, colour, religion, descent, culture, ethnic origin, nationality, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status and/or maternity status and to ensure that there is no discrimination in the sport.'

https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/integrity/anti-discrimination/about-us

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/08/the-observer-view-on-afghanistan-britain-and-the-us-are-complicit-in-the-talibans-oppression-of-women

'they have been let down again by the failure of liberal democracies to take action against the Taliban. In June, the UN held a conference on Afghanistan and acceded to the Taliban’s demands that Afghan women be excluded. Afghanistan under the Taliban is not being treated as the international pariah that it should be; the country continues to be a full member of the International Cricket Council, for example, despite not having a national women’s team that is a requirement of membership. After withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2021, the previous Conservative government relocated just 2,000 Afghans through its resettlement schemes, despite pledging to bring 20,000 – including female human rights activists. Afghan women are right to feel as if the west has abandoned them, and is effectively ignoring their brutal oppression.'

Yes, although they fuck it all up at the end:

'Does this apply to people who don’t identify as women but are also discriminated against for their actual or perceived gender or sex?

Targeting based on gender is not limited to women and can include victims who identify as women, girls, men, boys, nonbinary, and LGBTQI+ persons. Gender crimes target persons based on their sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression (e.g. woman/girl, man/boy, or nonbinary), or based on their sex. The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court’s guidance on gender crimes defines gender as “sex characteristics and social constructs and criteria used to define maleness and femaleness, including roles, behaviours, activities and attributes.” These social constructs can vary between societies and can change over time. '

This is a magazine featuring work from women from Afghanistan.

https://www.instagram.com/underthestarryafghansky

There's a fair few accounts on Insta that are schools or groups supporting women-.Online Herat School is one. Most are in Arabic script (I don't know enough to discern what languages) but there is auto translate.

Give them a follow and let them know.we've not forgotten them.