Purple Saturdays Movement Calls for April 27 to Be Recognized as International Day of Protest Against Forced Marriage

Sent to Zan TV

Members of the Purple Saturdays Movement, in a protest action, described the self-immolation of Abeda, a young woman from Ghor province, as a "cry of helplessness" against forced marriage and called on the United Nations to officially recognize April 27 as the "International Day of Protest Against Forced Marriage and Commemoration of Its Victims."

Abeda, a young woman from the village of Darzab-e-Nili in the Taywara district of Ghor province, set herself on fire on Sunday, April 27 of this year. The act occurred in front of Taliban fighters as they attempted to forcibly marry her to the brother of a local Taliban commander.

In this protest video, members of the Purple Saturdays Movement described Abeda’s self-immolation as the most extreme form of protest against forced marriage and the systematic crimes of the Taliban against women. According to them, Abeda’s heroic and painful act to draw global attention to this violent practice requires an urgent and united international response. Members of the movement warned that if the voices of Afghan women continue to go unheard, they may resort to more extreme forms of protest. While such actions could lead to cultural change and social transformation, they also risk triggering new human tragedies.

The protesters believe Abeda’s self-immolation represents the condition of hundreds of women subjected to forced marriage, especially in Afghanistan, women who, under a system of gender apartheid and amid global indifference, have been driven to the brink of despair and silent screams.

The Purple Saturdays Movement also criticized the silence of the United Nations, UNAMA, and international human rights organizations regarding the incident, calling it a sign of indifference toward the repeated systematic crimes against women in Afghanistan.

In conclusion, the movement called on all human rights organizations, feminists, protest movements, and women’s rights groups to launch a campaign to register and designate April 27 as the "International Day of Protest Against Forced Marriage" at the United Nations and to formally commemorate this day.