Dear supporters, 

We exist!

The Taliban have banned all forms of sports for Afghan women and girls in Afghanistan since their return in August 2021. The entire Afghan National Olympic Committee is under the control of the Taliban. All the female athletes are either forced to stay at home or have fled the country. All local gyms, and sports facilities have been shut down by the Taliban and the Haqani group.

There is no longer 'Afghan National Olympic Committee', it is now and only the Taliban NOC. The 'Afghan NOC' is the Taliban now, and the Taliban is the Afghan NOC.

This petition is regarding the ongoing, deadly threat to my fellow Afghan female athletes by the Taliban and the urgent need for your action and public support. We were heartened by the IOC (International Olympic Committee)'s promise to ensure that women athletes will be equal to the male athletes, but the reality has been different for Afghan female athletes. 

The situation in Afghanistan is dire as it relates to women’s sports and rights. Several members of our teams have been threatened with judgement in a Sharia law court operated by the Taliban, with punishments as high as 100 lashings publicly or the death penalty. The Taliban's gender apartheid regime, and ultimate form of discrimination against women has been excessively reported by the international media. 

We are asking the IOC to allow Afghan female athletes to register for training camps, and to participate at the international sports competitions independently with the support of the IOC in all sports; there is no need to ask the Taliban for permission. The IOC must also advice the international sports organizations and federations to allow an independent registration system for the female athletes from Afghanistan. 

The Afghan female athletes must be able to compete and represent Afghanistan independently from Afghanistan and the in exile at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games, and continually after the games. 

The IOC is waiting for the Taliban to change, and obey the Olympic Charter, however, it has been proven for decades that the Taliban have violated gender equality in sports, and have no intentions of reversing the ban on women's sports. It is up to us to act now. 

The Afghan female athletes need your support to be able to practice her rights to play sports. Come together and sign the petition. 

The IOC has committed to nondiscrimination in its Olympic Charter, which outlines the Olympic values and principles that guide IOC work. The Olympic Charter states that the IOC must “encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures, with a view to implementing the principle of equality of men and women” (Chapter 1, Rule 2, paragraph 7).

It is time for the IOC to act and honour it's Charter and 50/50 percent gender ratio in sports. 

Many men’s sport teams are receiving support from the IOC and other sports organizations, but women's team remains invisible and unworthy. 

Sadly, most of our female athletes and teams have been left behind. They’re in hiding, terrified of the deadly consequences of being found. Lack of IOC's interest in prioritizing Afghan women’s sports teams has contributed to discrimination against them, and they are left under the merci of the Taliban to get a permission to train or compete for Afghanistan either from within or outside of the country. 

The idea of 'We exist' is because we do EXIST but the IOC and the Taliban are treating Afghan female athletes, if we didn't existed or mattered. 

Your signature will change a life and bring visibility to Afghan women's sports. 

Thank you! 

About me: I am one of the first Afghan women athletes to represent Afghanistan at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in the history of Afghanistan and the IOC. My participation was a sports revolutions for Afghan women and girls. I have been active and advocating for Afghan women's rights to sports from 2001 to present. I have knowledge and experience of women's sports in Afghanistan and the previous Afghan National Olympic Committee. 

I have been in contact with many different sports team, and I was one of the first responders to help the athletes reach safety when the Afghan central government collapsed, and the Taliban took over again. 

Afghan female athletes made impressive and measurable progress in sports in the past two decades, but now all our achievements and gains will be wasted if we didn't act on time.