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Women's rights in Afghanistan

Women’s rights in Afghanistan concern us all

The Taliban ban girls from secondary education in Afghanistan and allows only boys and male teachers back to the classroom.

This outrageous and unthinkable rule announced by the new education minister is yet another tragic violation of the universal declaration of Human Rights proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948. In fact, there is not 1 article from a total of 30, that is respected, starting by the first: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” right to the 26th: “Everyone has the right to education”.

This recognition is the foundation of freedom, peace and justice in the world and it is up to all of us to fight for it in the name of the human family.

Simone de Beauvoir puts it so well: “Never forget that it only takes a political, economic or religious crisis for women’s rights to be called into question. These rights can never be taken for granted. You must remain vigilant throughout your life.”

Women’s rights are human rights

In our lifetimes, we have seen enormous advances in the status of women. Yet, women and girls still remain the first target and victims of barbarous acts. These fundamental rights that we, our mothers and grandmothers fought so hard to obtain, remain so fragile.

Simone de Beauvoir

Let us remember that it was just 50 years ago that women gained the right to vote in Switzerland and for Saudi women only in 2015.

If we look at what is happening in Texas with the so-called “heartbeat bill” that came into effect in the American state, it questions the right to abortion that women have obtained 48 years ago in the US.

Women from all countries of the world have had to fight against prejudices, laws and religions in order to be able to fully exist and benefit from the same rights as men. But is there a country in the world where gender equality really exists?

Even in societies where women are in charge of countries, there are still disparities in pay, governance and access to finance. Violence against women, whether physical or psychological, have continued to rise, especially during the pandemic. 

 

Women's rights in Afghanistan concern us all.

The world has to fight gender inequality together. It is up to each of us, regardless of our gender, religion or nationality to stand with the women of Afghanistan in this critical period. Let us pledge the international community to ensure that the women and girls of the country will keep the basic rights they have struggled to obtain in the last 2 decades.

“I have no weapons, but I have my voice” says Zarifa Ghafari, the youngest Mayor in Afghanistan.

It is time for us to raise our voices collectively, let’s stand up and spread the word that women are ready to claim their rightful place as full citizens and full participants in every society in the world.

Watch the exclusive interviews with Zarifa Ghafari a few days after her escape from Kabul, to Ayumi Moore Aoki.

Interview Directed and edited by Fernando de Azevedo

 

*The article and interview were originally posted by Ayumi Moore Aoki on LinkedIn. Moonshot News re-published them with her permission. 

 

 

Who is Who

ayumi moore aoki, women in tech founderAyumi Moore Aoki is a social entrepreneur committed to driving positive, sustainable change through technology. She is the Founder and CEO of the Global NGO Women in Tech®, the award-winning agency Social Brain®, and Co-Founder of HER Digital Academy.

Ayumi lives in France with her husband and four children but grew up in South-Africa under Apartheid with her Brazilian and Japanese parents. Her upbringing shaped her beliefs around equality, and cultivated her drive to break those gender, race, and professional norms that are rooted in oppressive and discriminatory stereotypes.

Ayumi knows firsthand the power of code. In 2008, she was struggling to achieve a healthy life balance, so she quit her high-powered job and taught herself how to code with CD-Roms. Her new digital skills reshaped both her personal and professional life. She created her first company, and in 2018 founded Women in Tech®. Today her non-profit organization is a global movement, with over 200 volunteers, 50,000 members in 6 continents, and on a mission to empower 5 million women and girls by 2030.

As an international expert in women empowerment and a champion of equality, she is a member of the Forbes Business Council.

Ayumi regularly takes to the stage at global, industry-leading events, including PauseFest (Melbourne), Women in Business Expo (London), TEDx Ist (Lisbon), Skolkovo Conference (Moscow), UFM Business Forum (Barcelona), MEW Manama Entrepreneurship Week (Bahrain), HackingRio (Brazil), and MITT Summit (UAE). is a social entrepreneur committed to driving positive, sustainable change through technology. She is the Founder and CEO of the Global NGO Women in Tech®, the award-winning agency Social Brain®, and Co-Founder of HER Digital Academy.

You can follow Ayumi on Linkedin and the Women in Tech page here

Moonshot News is an independent European news website for all IT, Media and Advertising professionals, powered by women and with a focus on driving the narrative for diversity, inclusion and gender equality in the industry.

Our mission is to provide top and unbiased information for all professionals and to make sure that women get their fair share of voice in the news and in the spotlight!

We produce original content, news articles, a curated calendar of industry events and a database of women IT, Media and Advertising associations.

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