“From Deprivation to Resistance” Dialogue; Emphasizing the Resistance of Afghan Women and Calling for Urgent Global Action

Edited Report:

Iran – 16 Asad 1405 (7 August 2026)
A special dialogue entitled “From Deprivation to Resistance; Afghan Women under Taliban Rule” was held at the joint initiative of a number of Afghan women’s protest movements, including the “United Afghan Women’s Movement for Freedom”, the “Afghan Women’s Movement for Justice and Awareness” and the “Women’s Movement for Justice”.

The meeting was held on Friday with the presence of human rights activists, women’s rights defenders and a number of social activists in Iran. The participants expressed deep concern about the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan and called for the international community’s immediate attention to the ongoing human rights crisis.

The speakers of the dialogue, referring to the extensive restrictions after the Taliban’s return to power, emphasized that the deprivation of women from education, work and social freedoms is a clear violation of their fundamental and human rights.

Bibi Mah Ahmadi, a human rights lawyer and activist, stressed the need for practical support from the international community and said that silence in the face of widespread violations of the rights of Afghan women is unacceptable.

Similarly, Mehrzad Azimi, a political and social activist, considered the current situation in Afghanistan a crisis beyond domestic borders and described it as a serious global issue.

Adela Ayub Hakimi, head of the Afghan Women’s Movement for Justice and Awareness, referred to the continued struggle of women and said that despite the pressures, Afghan women are still standing up to achieve justice, freedom and their human rights.

Meanwhile, Banafsha Zafari, representative of the United Afghan Women’s Movement for Freedom, emphasized the continuation of women’s resistance and added that Afghan women will never give up on their legitimate demands.

The participants of the meeting issued messages calling on the United Nations and the international community to take immediate and practical measures to support Afghan women and warned against continued silence.

Finally, Shahbanu Noori, a human rights activist and poet, concluded the program with a performance of the protest poem “Dukhtaran Watanam” (Daughters of My Homeland), a poem that reflected the pain, resistance, and hope of Afghan women.

The meeting was held at a time when August 15th, for many Afghan women, symbolizes the beginning of a period of restrictions and exclusion from social and political arenas; however, women activists emphasize that the fight for rights and freedom continues.

Reporter: Shahbanu Noori