The Azadegan Movement in Exile held a protest program in response to the painful situation of “Nooria,” a teenage Afghan girl who was forced to wear boys’ clothing due to extreme poverty and the need to provide for her family.
At this protest gathering, the protesting women performed a symbolic play to recreate the story of Nooria’s life in order to make her voice and that of thousands of other disadvantaged girls and women in Afghanistan heard by the world. Nooria, a girl of about 13 years old from Ghor province (or Helmand according to some reports), cut her hair short, wore boys’ clothing, and worked in a restaurant under the pseudonym “Noor Ahmad” after the death of her father to prevent her family from starving. She lived in these conditions for three years until she was arrested by Taliban forces and a video of her forced confession was released.
The organizers of the program emphasized that the main goal is to fight gender injustice, stand up against the systematic oppression of women in Afghanistan, and reflect the voices of those who are unable to protest and raise their voices under Taliban rule.
One of the attendees at the ceremony said: “Nooriya is a symbol of thousands of girls who are forced to hide their true identity due to deprivation of education, work and basic freedoms. We cannot remain silent in exile.”
Part of the statement of the Azadegan Movement in Exile states that this movement is an attempt to draw the attention of the international community and human rights institutions to the situation of Afghan women. The protesters called for serious international support so that no woman is forced to endure discrimination, poverty and deprivation because of her gender.
The program was held with the support of international institutions, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Sahar Office (PCM), and a number of officials from these institutions were also present.
Nooriya’s story has received widespread coverage on social media and news networks in recent weeks and has become a symbol of the depth of the humanitarian and gender crisis in Afghanistan under Taliban control. Women's rights activists insist that these cases are not exceptions, but a direct result of misogynistic policies that have deprived girls of the right to work, education, and even to freely participate in society. The Azadegan Movement in Exile has announced that it will continue its protest actions in support of Afghan women and girls so that the voices of the oppressed in exile can be heard.