Shaharzad Akbar - Sakharov Prize finalist 2021, Chair of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.
Yesterday a two-day event (1-2/2) dedicated to Afghan women, strongly encouraged
by the President David Sassoli, started at the European Parliament. Following the
Taliban's seizure of power of August 2021, women in Afghanistan have seen their
rights destroyed in a process that aims at removing them from all aspects of social
life. They are no longer allowed to work or study. They are forced to live in someone
else's shadow. But Afghan women are strong and courageous, and they are
demonstrating it with all their strength in these days in Brussels, where in the last
months they had already made their voice heard as finalists for the Sakharov Prize
2021.
Many women eager to fight for their rights have spoken and will speak during this
series of debates, which has been opened by a speech of President Roberta Metsola
followed by a touching message from UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie.
Among them was Sima Samar, former Minister for Women's Affairs, who highlighted
the need to actively involve Afghan women in the process of rebuilding an
acceptable level of respect for human rights that the international community has
shown its willingness to implement.
Amina Mohammedi, UN Deputy Secretary-General, also made her voice heard in the
hemicycle, emphasising the close connection between the condition of women and
the state of health of a nation.
The Afghan singer-songwriter Aryana Sayeed then performed her song "Lady of the
Land of Fire", powerfully expressing the profound dignity and unstoppable desire of
Afghan women to assert themselves even in a context of extreme hostility.
And then, to mention some of the other women who spoke, Setara Hassan, Hoda
Khamosh, and Shaharzad Akbar, finalist for the Sakharov Prize 2021 and Chair of the
Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, which the Taliban have dismantled
in the context of a violent repression of the activities of human rights defenders in
Afghanistan. To Shaharzad, whom we hosted as a speaker at the conference Fight
Impunity dedicated to Afghan women last October, we had the honour to present our new Report on Global Rights "The State of Impunity in the World - Another
World is Possible".
We are therefore pleased that our wish, presented during the above-mentioned
conference dating back to October, to encourage the creation of a support network
for Afghan women inside and outside the country has begun to find concrete
expression within the institutions. Fight Impunity will continue to follow this path,
which aims at defending the dignity and rights of Afghan women.
Please find below the link to follow the debates that will take place today:
https://multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/webstreaming?df=2022-02-01