World must stand with Afghan women

Assure girls and women left behind that the West still has their back, write Asma Faizi and Adeena Niazi.

As the international community scrambles to evacuate their own citizens and Afghans that worked for them, there is a risk that another, equally important, group may be left behind to fend for themselves against the Taliban — women that worked to make their world a better place.

During the past 20 years, governments, NGOs, and individuals from around the world have rightfully encouraged, funded and supported Afghan women to educate themselves, enter politics, report atrocities and have meaningful careers — all ideals that go against Taliban orthodoxy. Now, these women and their families are targets.

Do not be fooled by the Taliban's slick propaganda campaign. These are the same people that banned schools for girls, stopped women from working outside their homes, required women to have a male relative escort them in public, stoned women, and committed countless other atrocities the last time they were in power. These are the same people that targeted civilians, schools, and hospitals during the past 20 years. And these are the same people that have destroyed monuments, fired on protesters, and forced girls as young as twelve years old to marry soldiers over the past few weeks as they have regained power. The Taliban are the Taliban. They have not changed.

In the past few weeks, we have been contacted by many women leaders and rights activists from inside Afghanistan who fear for their lives. As the Taliban took control, the calls from these women became less frequent as they went into hiding. Some continue to call in tears, with panic in their voices as they describe how the bodyguards that used to protect them have now been paid to hunt and kill them. These brave women of Afghanistan who were encouraged to raise their voices for human rights and gender equality deserve our protection for several reasons.

First, it is the right thing to do. Period.

Second, there is a moral imperative on the international community, which encouraged these women to put themselves in harms way. Through their actions, an implicit promise was made to the Afghan women that they will be protected from the Taliban. We must now honour this commitment.

Third, we all strive for what these women have worked for and what these women stand for. They stood for the right of every young girl to educate herself; they stood for the right of every young woman not to be commoditized and be forced into marriage; and they stood for the right of every woman to have and express her opinion. By not protecting these women in their time of need, the world is sending a message that it will not stand by women who fight for their rights.

Do not turn your back on the women and girls of Afghanistan. Those at immediate risk need to be evacuated immediately and those left behind need to be reassured that we will stand by them.