We want the world to hear us, our rights to be saved: Afghanistan women hold protest in Herat

Women rights defenders, university students and government employees took part in the movement. "No government is sustainable without women`s support. Our demand: The right to education and the right to work in every aspect," a banner at the protest read.

Pic courtesy: Twitter/@TOLOnews

Kabul (Afghanistan): In a brave move, women in Afghanistan took to streets to demand their rights in a Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Dozens of  women on Thursday (September 2) held protests in Herat demanding rights and female representation in the government formation after the Taliban took control of the war-ravaged country. Protestors were carrying banners with slogans against the exclusion of women from the country's political system under the regime of the Taliban, Tolo News reported. The protest was held in the western city of Herat and the demonstration was reportedly held in front of the governor's office.

Women rights defenders, university students and government employees took part in the movement. "No government is sustainable without women`s support. Our demand: The right to education and the right to work in every aspect," a banner read. 

Friba Kabrzani, an organiser of the Thursday (September 2) rally, says that women should have political participation in the new government, including the Cabinet and Loya Jirga, or elders' council. "Afghan women have made many sacrifices over the past 20 years to achieve what they have," she said, adding, "We want the world to hear us and we want our rights to be saved."

Kabrzani says that some local families did not allow other women to join the march, although they wanted to, out of fear for their safety, after the ultraconservative Taliban religious militia took control of the country in mid-August.

Another participant, Maryam Ebram, said that although the Taliban were giving beautiful speeches on television, there have been abuses of power in the public space. "We have witnessed them beating women again," she said, adding that her group planned to continue to protest and demand their rights."We will not sit quiet as Taliban wants us to," Ebram said

As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan once again after 20 years, experts believe that Afghan women are most likely to face an uncertain future under the group`s regime. Sajjan Gohel, a security and terrorism analyst said that women are scared out of their (Taliban) minds. "From the Afghan women I've spoken to, it's incredibly traumatic. You're looking at an entire generation who only read about the Taliban in books. Now, they're having to live side-by-side with what is effectively a misogynistic cult," Dr Gohel added.

According to the international security director at the Asia-Pacific Foundation: "Women's lives (from 1996 to 2001) were very bleak and severely repressed by the Taliban. You're looking at an era where every aspect of a woman`s life was controlled, contained, and confined," reported Four Nine.

(With Agency inputs)