This petition was drafted by the Women’s and Gender Studies Program of the University of Texas at Arlington (#UTAWGS) in support of women’s rights and gender equality in Afghanistan.

We express our deepest concern for the human rights situation of women and girls in Afghanistan. Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban on August 15th
, 2021, women and girls have lost their fundamental rights and freedoms, including the rights to education, political and social participation, freedom of movement, employment, assembly, access to justice, equality, freedom of expression, and access to health care.

People of Afghanistan are suffering injustice, poverty, discrimination, destitution, and violence. Families have sold their children to feed other family members. The Taliban appointed a caretaker cabinet of 33 ministers: all men and no women. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs shut down its provincial departments, and it is no longer part of the de facto government, cutting off vital services for women across the nation.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission has been forced to shut down due to persecutions, silencing a credible and independent human rights voice for the people.

The Taliban has also eliminated the position of the Attorney General, which has a
fundamental role to play in defending the state.

Women protesters, human rights activists, journalists, and others have been harassed, intimidated, attacked, detained, abducted, tortured, and killed, people have been forced from their homes and provinces as the Taliban confiscates property and land.

Women and their children living in Afghanistan who have protested for their educational and employment rights and other freedoms have faced violence from the Taliban. Most of these protestors have been abducted and arrested by the Taliban, then forced to record videos that are published publicly. This is a horrible human rights violation. Such actions violate Article 19: “Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 19.

We have seen media coverage of how the people in Afghanistan, particularly women and girls, and those activists in exile outside of their country are raising their voices to fight for their rights and freedoms as they continue their struggles. “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” (www.un.org “Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article 1”)

In light of International Women’s Day, Commission on Status of Women (CSW66), and Renewal of UNAMA’s (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan) Mandate – and in solidarity with Afghanistan women and girls – we call on the United States Federal Government, UN agencies, universities and academic associations, Gender and Women’s Studies departments, women’s and human rights activists, feminist groups, and the international community, including Islamic countries and humanitarian communities: Please stand with AFGHANISTAN WOMEN AND GIRLS TO SUPPORT THEIR RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS. We must not let them stand alone.

• We call on UNAMA, the Human Rights Unit, to continue prioritizing its monitoring, reporting, and advocacy of the protection of civilians in armed conflict; the promotion of gender equality and the elimination of violence against women and conflict-related sexual violence of all actors in Afghanistan and make the Taliban more responsible, accountable, and transparent
• We call on the U.S. government, EU, and Islamic countries to put diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to respect and protect women’s rights in Afghanistan.
• We call on all countries to prioritize women’s rights and gender equality in their engagement policies with the Taliban.
• We call on the international community to increase their humanitarian assistance and aid for the people of Afghanistan through civil society and charitable organizations.
• We call on the United Nations Security Council to make the Taliban responsible and accountable in terms of Afghanistan’s international commitments such as the 1325 resolution on women, peace, and security; UNCSR, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and other Afghanistan international commitments.
• We call on all human rights defenders and associations to join together in support of women’s rights, education, and movements politically, technically, and financially in Afghanistan.

Our unique message for Afghanistan women and girls: We Stand With YOU. We Stand For YOU. #GenderEqualityInAfghanistan