Preamble

We gather today before the Parliament of Canada to raise our voices for millions of Afghan women and girls systematically stripped of their most basic human and Islamic rights solely because of their gender. Afghanistan has become the epicenter of institutionalized gender-based oppression: girls barred from education, women excluded from employment and public life, activists tortured, arrested, and silenced. This is not a series of isolated abuses; rather t is a state-engineered policy of erasure. The grim reality is daily and documented. The recent attack on a peaceful women’s gathering in Jebrail, Herat; the deliberate running over of girls by a vehicle in Darulaman, Kabul; arbitrary arrests; the harassment and intimidation of women protesters; and numerous reports of torture are only a few examples of what women endure under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. International organizations and independent media have confirmed that women; particularly those from marginalized communities such as Hazaras are subjected to deliberate and compounded discrimination. This is systematic, not accidental. We condemn the continued policy of accommodation, silence, and normalization of Taliban conduct by some within the international community and Afghan Diaspora. History demonstrates that neutrality in the face of oppression does not foster peace, rather it emboldens injustice and deepens suffering. The time has come for governments, international organizations, and global leaders to make a clear and principled choice: stand with the oppressed against the oppressor, and with the defender of human dignity against the violator of human rights.

Our Demands:

1. Full Restoration of Rights
   • We demand the immediate and unconditional removal of all Taliban-imposed restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. Their rights to education, employment, freedom of movement, and political and social participation must be fully restored and protected.
2. End to Violence and Arbitrary Detention
   • We call for an immediate halt to arbitrary arrests, torture, targeted killings, sexual violence, and harassment. All women detained for their advocacy must be released, and women rights defenders must be guaranteed protection. The international community must maintain maximum pressure on the Taliban to end these abuses.
3. Recognition of Gender Apartheid
   • We affirm the demand for formal recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan. This system of structural discrimination must be prioritized within international human rights frameworks as an urgent step toward justice and equality.
4. Humanitarian Assistance and Safe Pathways
   • We call upon all rights-respecting countries, especially Canada to expand humanitarian aid, protection programs, and resettlement opportunities for women, girls, and activists from marginalized communities whose lives are at risk.
5. Accountability and Justice
   • We reiterate that the documentation of violations, the fight against impunity, and the prosecution of Taliban officials through international accountability mechanisms is a fundamental duty of the international community and the United Nations.
6. Sustained Canadian Leadership
   • We urge Global Affairs Canda and the Parliament House to continue its leading role in defending the human rights of women and marginalized communities and encourage other nations to provide comprehensive support for their pursuit of justice.

Our Commitment

We have not assembled merely to speak about a crisis; rather we have come to confront a historic injustice and to declare our opposition to the gender apartheid policies imposed in Afghanistan.

Though they face persecution, forced marriage, and systematic deprivation, women in Afghanistan are not merely victims. They are leaders of peaceful resistance, guardians of hope, and defenders of human dignity. What is required from the international community today is not to express empathy alone, but take responsible action, tangible support, and an unwavering commitment to truth and justice. Justice is a fundamental right. Afghan women are entitled to live free from fear, violence, and discrimination, and to fully enjoy their human and Islamic rights. No decision concerning Afghanistan’s future is legitimate without the meaningful participation of women. The international community must stand in solidarity with Afghan women in their struggle. We declare that our advocacy will persist. As long as a girl is denied education, a woman is imprisoned for demanding her rights, or any person is oppressed because of their gender, ethnicity and religion, we will not remain silent. Silence in the face of widespread human rights violations is incompatible with international principles and will never be forgiven by Afghan women or by the conscience of humanity. From Ottawa, the capital of a free and democratic society, our message to the world is clear:

• There is no neutrality in the face of oppression.
• Stand with the women and girls of Afghanistan, or history will remember you among the bystanders of injustice.
• Long Live Freedom and Justice.
• Long Live the Women and Girls of Afghanistan.

Organizing and Coordination Committee
Rally in Support of Women and Girls in Afghanistan.
Ottawa, Canada
June 21, 2026