The March For Freedom – organised by a coalition of groups – comes after a number of female activists were unlawfully detained by the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Over a year since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan’s capital city Kabul, the group’s assault on the rights of women and girls continues to worsen.
While, at first, Taliban leaders suggested that the group would keep in place many of the hard-won rights of women and girls across the country – including access to education – it quickly became apparent that this wasn’t to be the case.
Alongside restricting access to education for girls over the age of 11, the Taliban has introduced a number of oppressive laws directly targeting women and girls.
These include the requirement for women to cover their faces in public, and rules restricting them from travelling long distances without a male chaperone.
And most recently, women have been banned from visiting gyms, parks and funfairs – further limiting the now highly-restricted access women have to public spaces.
However, despite the myriad of threats women face for simply speaking out about the Taliban, many continue to put themselves at risk by fighting for their freedom. Most recently, a group of activists were arrested during a press conference announcing the formation of the Afghan Women Movement for Equality.
Now, in light of these arrests and the continued assault against women and girls’ rights being carried out by the Taliban, Action for Afghanistan – which is part of a ‘Coalition for Freedom’ working to support women and girls in the country – has organised a march in central London to ask the UK government to take action.
The March For Freedom – which is taking place next Sunday (27 November) – will see protestors gather at Marble Arch and march towards Westminster, where a number of speeches and a rally will be held in solidarity with the Afghan women.
The demands being laid as part of the march, which you can check out in full on the website, include the establishment of a dedicated asylum and resettlement route for Afghan women at risk, and the protection of the aid budget.
Rallies are also set to take place in cities across the world on the same day, with plans for events in cities across Canada already underway.
While it’s easy to feel powerless in the face of a crisis like the one unfolding in Afghanistan, it’s important to remember that our voices have power – and standing in solidarity with the women fighting for their rights is a fantastic place to start.
To find out more about the March For Freedom and register your attendance, you can visit the website.
Image: Getty
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