Call for the Designation of an “International Day of Protest Against Forced Marriage and Commemoration of Its Victims”

Call for the Designation of an “International Day of Protest Against Forced Marriage and Commemoration of Its Victims”

The tragic self-immolation of Abida, a young Afghanistani girl who was forced to marry a member of the Taliban, represents the most extreme form of protest against forced marriage. It was a heroic act intended to draw serious and urgent global attention to this inherently harmful practice, as well as to the systematic crimes committed by the Taliban regime against women in Afghanistan. This crisis demands a fundamental, purposeful, and unified response from the international community.

Abida’s brave, though deeply sorrowful act, demonstrated that Afghanistan women continue to fight for their rights, justice, and freedom—even at the cost of their lives. If their voices remain unheard, they may be compelled to turn to similar forms of protest, which, while heartbreaking, can ultimately catalyze social change, raise global awareness, and, if ignored, lead to deeper tragedies in countries like Afghanistan.

Her protest through self-immolation was not only a reflection of the suffering of hundreds of women forced into marriage worldwide—especially in countries under misogynistic and gender-apartheid regimes—but also a symbol of the abandonment, erasure, and suppressed anger of women whose pain is often ignored. Failing to acknowledge these realities only perpetuates deeper injustices against the victims of such crimes.

Unfortunately, seven days after Abida’s protest and death, the global community—including the United Nations, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), and other major international human rights institutions—has remained silent, treating this act as just another recurring tragedy.

For this reason, we call on all human rights organizations, feminist movements, protest groups, UNAMA, and all defenders of women’s rights to honor Abida’s legacy and the countless unheard victims of forced marriage across the globe. We urge the launch of global campaigns to formally recognize April 27 as the International Day of Protest Against Forced Marriage and Commemoration of Its Victims and to advocate for its official designation by the United Nations.

#Right_Justice_Freedom
Purple Saturdays Movement
Date: May 4, 2025