Afghan women living in Norway protest against facilitating child marriage; “These policies are destroying the future of girls.”
Kabul Times News | Norway
A group of protesting women, civil society activists, and Afghan human rights defenders living in Norway today held a protest rally to strongly condemn the recent decrees of the Afghan government on facilitating and recognizing the marriage of underage girls, calling them a clear violation of the rights of children and women.
The participants of the rally, chanting slogans, warned that the spread of child marriage will lead to increased abuse of girls, their deprivation of education, and the continuation of the cycle of violence and discrimination against women in Afghanistan.
The protesters emphasized that these policies are seriously threatening the future of thousands of girls and are depriving them of opportunities for growth, education, and social participation.
They also called on the Norwegian government and the international community not to remain silent in the face of what they called “massive human rights violations” in Afghanistan and to use all diplomatic and legal tools to increase pressure on the Taliban.
The speakers at the gathering emphasized that depriving girls of their right to education and forcing them into early marriage is a clear example of structural discrimination and a violation of fundamental human rights.
The participants called for these actions to be recognized as “gender apartheid” in international institutions and courts.
In conclusion, women’s rights activists emphasized the continuation of civil and advocacy efforts to defend the rights of Afghan women and girls, and called on the international community to provide more practical and effective support to the victims.
Afghan women living in Norway protest against facilitating child marriage; “These policies are destroying the future of girls.”
