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| An Afghan woman holds solo protest against university ban |Afghan Taliban ban universities for woman |
“For the first time in my life, I felt so proud, so strong and so powerful because I stood up to them and demanded a right that God gave us."
Protests by women have become increasingly rare in Afghanistan since the return of the Taliban, especially after the detention of grassroots activists in Pakistan.
The participants are facing arrest, violence, and social stigma. But Marwa was inflexible. His sister filmed a video of the silent demonstration using a car phone.
Last week, in their latest attack on women's rights, the Taliban banned university education for women, which sparked an international uproar.
Some women have tried to protest the ban, but they have been swiftly dispersed.
On Sunday, in front of Taliban guards deployed at the Kabul University gates, Marwa courageously carried a placard that read “Iqra”, the Arabic word for “read”.
“They said really bad things to me, but I stayed calm,” she said.
“I wanted to show the power of a single Afghan girl, and that even one person can stand against oppression. When my other sisters (women students) see that a single girl has stood against the Taliban, it will help them rise and defeat the Taliban,” Marwa said.
Even though the Taliban promised a softer form of rule when they returned to power in August of last year, they instead imposed severe restrictions.
On Saturday, authorities ordered all humanitarian groups to prevent female workers from coming to work.
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| An Afghan woman holds solo protest against university ban |Afghan Taliban ban universities for woman |
High schools for girls have been closed for more than a year, while many women who have lost their government jobs get a fraction of their salary to stay at home.
Women were also prohibited from going to parks, gymnasiums, or public baths. The Taliban say that the restrictions are due to the fact that women are not abiding by the rules.
The country has become a prison for women, says Marwa, who wants to become a painter. I don't want to be imprisoned. I have some great dreams that I have. “That's why I decided to protest. “
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