A meeting titled “Women’s Solidarity for Education and the Right to Self-Determination in Afghanistan” was organized to support women and girls in Vienna, the capital of Austria.
This meeting was held on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of the activities of the cultural association “AKIS” and the twenty-sixth anniversary of the publication of the magazine “Banu,” with the participation of cultural, social, and political figures from Afghanistan in exile in Europe and America, as well as several Austrian officials.
The statement mentioned that the aim of this conference is to draw attention to the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan following recent political developments, strengthen solidarity among Afghan citizens in exile and European institutions, and create a platform for dialogue among activists, experts, and policymakers.
The organizers of this meeting emphasized: “In this context, two specialized workshops were held on supporting girls’ education and integrating Afghan women into the diaspora job market.”
This meeting comes at a time when the current government has deprived girls above the sixth grade of education for nearly five years.
Since taking control of Afghanistan, the current government has denied women and girls access to education. Furthermore, in its latest restriction, it closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, while the health sector across Afghanistan is facing a shortage of personnel.
This government’s action has resulted in millions of female students being unable to pursue their education.
In addition, women have been prohibited from going to sports clubs, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a male guardian, and working in domestic and international NGOs, as well as even in UN offices in Afghanistan.
