Hundreds of women protested outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on Sunday (local time)over violations of human rights and women's rights in Afghanistan by the Taliban.
An Afghan woman residing in the United States, Fatima Rahmati who participated in the protest said, "Women make up half the world. So, when you begin to not let them work, the repercussions of that are dire."
"My message to all Afghanistan women is that we never lose hope. We will fight and we will take it," said Semona Lanzoni, an Afghan residing in Italy and participating in a protest.
Shakila Mujadadi who is a women's rights defender said that United Nations should focus on the limitations that the Taliban has imposed on the people of Afghanistan, especially women; that is what the people of Afghanistan deserve, TOLOnews reported.
Various activists and women's rights defenders in Afghanistan said that they are unable to continue their activities.
Roya Afghanyar, who has worked as a women's rights activist in Afghanistan for the last 20 years said that due to the collapse of the Ghani government, she was not able to continue her activity.She said," Women are living in very bad conditions. They have lost their right to education and to work. This government that calls itself the government of Afghanistan should give us our rights."
Meanwhile, women political leaders who attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday called for the rights of Afghan women should not be taken away and respected and the Taliban should refrain from violence.
Female leaders in the statement, initiated by the Slovakia President Zuzana Caputova and the Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir said, "We will continue to closely follow the developments and listen to the voices of Afghan women and girls," reported TOLOnews
"We especially call on the authorities in Afghanistan to prevent every form of violence towards women and girls," they further said.
Female politicians in a meeting with UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said that females in Afghanistan should retain their rights. They also urged the international community to pay close attention to the situation and rights of those that are currently among the most vulnerable in Afghanistan.
"Over the past two decades, girls and women in Afghanistan could exercise their legitimate rights. This must not be taken away. Together with the prime minister of Iceland, the prime minister of New Zealand and other women political leaders, we have launched a call to support Afghan girls and women," Caputova said.
"We urge the international community and the new government in Afghanistan to respect women's rights and to not allow women to become victims," said Banafsha Yaqoubi, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) commissioner.
A number of women on Sunday protested outside the building of the former women's affairs ministry in Kabul. The Taliban, however, prevented media from covering the protest, TOLOnews reported.
( With inputs from ANI )
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