Zan News: The female foreign ministers of 17 countries and the European Union, in a joint statement, have called Afghanistan "the most repressive country in the world for women," stating that this "dark reality" cannot be ignored. Hadja Lahbib, Belgian FM (Courtesy) Female Foreign Ministers of the World: Afghanistan is the Most Repressive Country for Women February 16, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The female foreign ministers of 17 countries and the European Union, in a joint statement, have called Afghanistan "the most repressive country in the world for women," stating that this "dark reality" cannot be ignored. The statement, issued after a meeting of female foreign ministers in Ottawa on Tuesday, called for the repeal of the Taliban's "Vice and Virtue" law. The ministers emphasized that this law has intensified existing restrictions on Afghan women and girls. The meeting, attended by foreign ministers from Canada, Andorra, Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Jamaica, Kosovo, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Mongolia, Slovenia, Sweden, the European Union, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, examined the "dire" situation of Afghan women and expressed strong concern over the systematic and widespread human rights violations in Afghanistan by the Taliban, particularly those affecting women and girls. The foreign ministers strongly condemned the ban on girls' education in medical institutes and warned that if this decree is not revoked, Afghanistan will lose an entire generation of female healthcare professionals. They noted that in a society with cultural norms favoring treatment of women by women, the absence of female doctors endangers the health of millions of women and children. Part of the statement reads: "Afghanistan is the only country in the world where women and girls are deprived of secondary and higher education. This ban is not only a personal tragedy for every Afghan girl but also a collective blow to the country's development, economic growth, and stability." The female foreign ministers, referring to the Taliban's request for international recognition, stated that "there is no future for any country that seeks to exclude women from public life." They called on the Taliban to adhere to Afghanistan's international commitments, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and to lift restrictions on women. The female foreign ministers emphasized that achieving a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is only possible if all citizens, including women and girls, can fully participate in and contribute to the country's future. They urged all countries to support the full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation of Afghan women in discussions about the country's future, including the UN-led Doha process. The ministers also called on the Taliban to facilitate an inclusive political process that reflects the diversity of Afghan society. It is worth noting that since regaining control of Afghanistan, the Taliban have imposed extensive restrictions, including depriving women of work, education, and social participation. These policies have faced widespread condemnation from international institutions and human rights organizations.

Zan News: Human Rights Watch states that Afghan women artists have played a crucial role in the women’s movement resisting the oppression of the Taliban through their art. Photo: Human Rights Watch Human Rights Watch: Afghan Women Artists Play a Vital Role in Resistance Against Taliban Oppression December 12, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Human Rights Watch states that Afghan women artists have played a crucial role in the women’s movement resisting the oppression of the Taliban through their art. 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.

Zan News: The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) has announced in a statement that, due to the closure of its offices in Afghanistan, it will no longer operate in the country. Google Images Swedish Committee Halts Its Activities in Afghanistan January 22, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Swedish Committee for Afghanistan (SCA) has announced in a statement that, due to the closure of its offices in Afghanistan, it will no longer operate in the country. On Tuesday (January 21), the committee stated that it will continue its activities outside of Afghanistan under the name "Committee of Solidarity for Afghanistan." This comes after the Taliban halted the Swedish Committee’s operations in Afghanistan in April of 2024 year, following the burning of the Quran in Sweden. At that time, the committee had said that with the cessation of its activities after more than four decades in Afghanistan, around 7,000 employees of the organization in 16 provinces of the country would lose their jobs. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan would be deprived of its health, educational, and development services. The Swedish Committee emphasized that it has no connection with the Swedish government, and that the Taliban had misunderstood the situation.

Zan News: Nida Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban's Minister of Higher Education, has labeled users of social media platforms such as Twitter (X) and Facebook as "apostates" in a recent statement. Photo: Pajhwok Taliban Higher Education Minister: Social Media Users Are Apostates September 7, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Nida Mohammad Nadim, the Taliban's Minister of Higher Education, has labeled users of social media platforms such as Twitter (X) and Facebook as "apostates" in a recent statement. In a video clip released on Friday (September 6), Nadim, speaking at a conference in Kabul, said that these users are engaging in negative propaganda against the Taliban and insulting religious scholars. He further added that social media users are "apostates" and are conducting their propaganda in the Pashto language. This comes as many Taliban officials heavily utilize social media platforms, especially Twitter (X).

Zan News: The Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice claims that its agents prevented the forced marriage of an elderly man to a 13-year-old girl in Samangan province. Social Media Taliban: We Prevented the Forced Marriage of a Minor Girl in Samangan November 6, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Taliban's Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice claims that its agents prevented the forced marriage of an elderly man to a 13-year-old girl in Samangan province. In a statement released on Tuesday (November 5), the ministry announced that Taliban agents in Aybak, the provincial capital of Samangan, had intervened to stop the marriage. Mawlawi Habibullah Hamas, head of the ministry in Samangan, stated, “Marriage is a sacred contract in Islam, but customs over the past 20 years have led to forced marriages.” This claim comes amid reports indicating that Taliban commanders have, over the past three years, repeatedly forced women and girls into marriage. Human rights organizations have also reported a significant increase in forced marriages since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan.

Zan News: Local sources in Helmand province report that unknown individuals have killed a woman by stabbing her and severely injured her three-year-old daughter. A Woman Killed and Her Three-Year-Old Daughter Injured in Helmand by Unknown Individuals September 24, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Local sources in Helmand province report that unknown individuals have killed a woman by stabbing her and severely injured her three-year-old daughter. Sources said on Tuesday (September 24) that the incident occurred in the village of "Sayed Tajdar Agha" in Gereshk district. According to the sources, the incident took place two days ago when the woman and her daughter were alone at home. The identity of the woman has not been disclosed, and the reason and motive for the murder remain unclear. Local Taliban authorities in Helmand have yet to comment on the incident. This comes as, since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, there has been a rise in killings of women, children, and young people in Helmand and other provinces across the country.

Zan News - Badakhshan: Local sources in Badakhshan province report that a Taliban fighter has killed his former brother's wife after she rejected his marriage proposal. Social Media A Woman Killed in Badakhshan for Rejecting a Taliban Fighter's Marriage Proposal October 8, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Badakhshan: Local sources in Badakhshan province report that a Taliban fighter has killed his former brother's wife after she rejected his marriage proposal. Sources said on Tuesday (October 8) that the 37-year-old woman was abducted about a week ago and her body was found near her home in Jurm district yesterday. Sources say that the woman, who had lost her husband about three years ago, was working as a service worker at a clinic in Jurm. She had rejected the marriage proposal of her former brother-in-law, which, according to sources, was the reason for her murder. Local Taliban officials in Badakhshan have also confirmed the killing and reported the arrest of one person in connection with the incident. This is not the first time that cases of women and girls being killed by Taliban fighters for rejecting marriage proposals have been reported. A few months ago, a Taliban fighter in Almar district of Faryab also shot a young girl dead for the same reason.

Zan News: Taliban's Minister of Virtue and Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, claims the Taliban government is committed to granting women and girls their rights and that the world should not make inaccurate judgments about their rule. Taliban: We are Committed to Women's Rights, Don't Judge us Wrong May 28, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Taliban's Minister of Virtue and Vice, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, claims the Taliban government is committed to granting women and girls their rights and that the world should not make inaccurate judgments about their rule. In an interview with a Turkish media outlet, Hanafi stated that "the Taliban government is committed to granting women's rights and has always strived to ensure that women's rights are not violated." Hanafi also called on the international community to avoid making inaccurate judgments about the Taliban and to present the true picture of their rule to their people. He added, "We don't ask anything else from countries, just that they don't make inaccurate judgments about us and show their people the true picture of the Taliban government." These claims by Hanafi come despite the Taliban imposing extensive restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan over the past nearly three years. Currently, women and girls have been banned from continuing their education in universities and schools by the group, which has deprived millions of girls of education. In addition, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a mahram (male guardian), working in domestic and international NGOs, and even UN offices in Afghanistan.

Zan News: Sahra Mani, a prominent Afghan filmmaker, has received the Majority Feminist Foundation's Global Women's Rights Award in the United States for her portrayal of the resistance of Afghan women and girls against the Taliban in her documentary "Bread and Red Roses." Sahra Mani, Afghan Filmmaker, Receives Global Women's Rights Award May 23, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Sahra Mani, a prominent Afghan filmmaker, has received the Majority Feminist Foundation's Global Women's Rights Award in the United States for her portrayal of the resistance of Afghan women and girls against the Taliban in her documentary "Bread and Red Roses." The Majority Feminist Foundation said in a statement that it hosted its 16th annual Women's Rights Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, USA, last week. According to the statement, the Moyes Leno Prize for Global Women's Rights was awarded to Ms. Mani and the "Bread and Red Roses" documentary team. Jay Leno, a former famous TV host in the United States and his wife Moyes, a member of the foundation's board of directors, and Dr. Sima Samar, former chairman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, presented the award to Ms. Mani. Ms. Mani wrote on her X account that her goal in making the documentary was to convey the struggles of Afghan women to future generations. She also expressed hope that she could reflect the voices of Afghan women and play a role in bringing about change in the country. "Bread and Red Roses" is an inside look at the resistance of Afghan women against the Taliban in Kabul. The film tells the stories of three Afghan women and shows how their lives have changed after the Taliban's takeover and how they courageously stand up to "gender apartheid." "Bread and Red Roses" was screened at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival in 2023. In addition to Ms. Mani, Caroline Maloney, a former US Congresswoman, and Dr. Austin Deanard, a women's health expert, also received awards from the Majority Feminist Foundation. The foundation's Global Women's Rights Award is given annually to a select number of individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of women's and girls' rights and to raising awareness of the injustices that women face because of their gender.

Zan News: A handicrafts and domestic products exhibition titled "Afghanistan's Treasure" (Ganjena Afghanistan) was held for five days in Bamyan province. Social Media Handicrafts and Domestic Products Exhibition "Afghanistan's Treasure" Held in Bamyan July 23, 2024 Zan News Zan News: A handicrafts and domestic products exhibition titled "Afghanistan's Treasure" (Ganjena Afghanistan) was held for five days in Bamyan province. This exhibition, aimed at the growth and development of handicrafts and domestic products, was organized by a private company in the city of Bamyan, the center of the province, on Monday (July 22). Mohammad Khyber Hewadmal, the organizer of the exhibition, stated that the exhibition showcased women's handicraft products, including embroidered scarves, woolen shoes, traditional Hazara clothing, paintings, engraved wooden items, pyrography works, and dairy products. According to Mr. Hewadmal, the exhibition featured 180 booths, with about 90 percent of them dedicated to women. The women participating in the exhibition believe that such events are effective in familiarizing people with domestic products and strengthening women's economic activities. The artisans present at the exhibition also pointed out key challenges in their work. They cited the import of similar goods, travel visa restrictions, and issues related to raw materials as their main problems. According to them, the market for imported foreign goods is still more thriving than for domestic products. This exhibition is being held in a context where the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on girls and women over the past two years. Currently, girls and women in Afghanistan are prohibited from attending schools and universities, gyms, restaurants, and public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in non-governmental organizations, both domestic and international, as well as even in UN offices in Afghanistan.