Human Rights Watch: Afghan Women Artists Play a Vital Role in Resistance Against Taliban Oppression

According to the report by this organization, the art of women artists not only depicts the suppression of women and girls under Taliban rule but also challenges this repression and conveys messages of solidarity and hope.

In a report released at the end of the annual 16-day campaign to end violence against women, Human Rights Watch has documented the lives of two Afghan women artists, Rada Akbar and Fatima Wajuhat. The report, titled "A human being is more delicate than a flower and tougher than a rock," has been published.

Sahar Fetrat, a women’s rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, emphasized that Afghan women artists, like those who took to the streets with the slogan "Bread, Work, Freedom," are advocating for dignity and equality for all and play a vital role in shaping this popular movement.

Human Rights Watch further noted that since taking power, the Taliban have systematically violated the rights of women and girls and have implemented laws that not only deny the right to education but also the right to work, freedom of movement, expression, physical health, participation in public life, access to healthcare, and even the right to speak and read.

The report mentions that "Rada Akbar and Fatima Wajuhat create their artworks digitally and with chalk. Their works focus on the theme of women’s resistance against oppression, and despite being away from their homeland, both contribute to the women’s resistance movement in Afghanistan."

The human rights organization added that they share their artworks and messages of solidarity and hope, aiming to reach girls and women in Afghanistan who have been deprived of the world of creativity and art due to the oppressive Taliban restrictions.

Ms. Fetrat also emphasized: "While Afghanistan continues to face the world’s most serious women’s rights crisis, it is important that the Afghan women’s popular movement and those who strengthen it with their wisdom, courage, and art, are recognized."

This report comes amid ongoing widespread restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan, with the Taliban recently banning girls from studying in medical institutes, a move that has triggered widespread domestic and international reactions.