By Rukhshana Media
A press conference planned by a group of women in response to the Taliban’s first decree on women’s rights was canceled, said the organizers of the conference on Saturday.
The press conference which was planned to take place in a library in the Afghan capital, Kabul on Saturday, was canceled when the Taliban reportedly threatened the librarian, some of the conference organizers told Rukhshana Media.
“Unfortunately, because of the Taliban threat, we were told not to hold the [press conference] where we planned it. This move by the Taliban shows that they do not recognize any rights for women,” said Shiba Rufi, who came to the venue as a participant.
“We want equal rights with men in education, work, civil and political [participation],” said Waheeda Amiri, one of the organizers of the press conference, noting that the Taliban’s new decree on women’s rights does not address women’s rights to education, work, and civic participation. “No force can deprive women of their rights under the name of Islam,” she added.
The press conference which was planned by a group of women who call themselves the “Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women Fighters,” also released a summary of their activities which included 17 protests.
The Taliban’s first decree on women’s rights, released on Friday, banned forced marriage, but it does not address women’s rights to education or work, the two areas where Afghan women and girls have faced the most restrictions since the group returned to power in mid-August.
