Statement of the Afghan United Women’s Voice Organization (AUWVO)

Statement of the Afghan United
Women’s Voice Organization (AUWVO)

on the Taliban’s New Restrictions Against Women
The Afghan United Women’s Voice Organization (AUWVO) expresses deep concern and strong condemnation regarding the Taliban’s latest measures restricting women’s rights. According to reports, the group has prohibited women from using cosmetic and personal care products, laughing, and speaking in public. These decisions not only constitute a clear violation of women’s fundamental rights but also effectively remove them from public and social life, severely threatening their human dignity.

We reiterate that women in Afghanistan possess equal human, social, educational, and professional rights as men, and no group or government has the right to ignore or limit these rights. The recent prohibitions represent a continuation of the systematic suppression of women, which has intensified over the past three years, depriving them of education, employment, social engagement, access to public spaces, and even basic
freedoms.

AUWVO emphasizes that such restrictions have profound and far-reaching consequences for Afghan society. Depriving women of their fundamental rights not only halts the country’s social and economic development but also undermines women’s mental health, self-confidence, and human dignity, while deepening social divisions within the community.

We call on the international community, global organizations, human rights institutions, and civil society actors to strongly condemn these measures and to increase pressure on the Taliban to lift all unlawful restrictions and restore women’s rights. Silence in the face of violations of women’s rights equates to condoning oppression and injustice.
Furthermore, we urge women and human rights activists across Afghanistan to remain united, raise their voices in defense of dignity, freedom, and equality, and ensure that generations of Afghan women are not deprived of their natural and legal rights. Standing firm and insisting on their rights is the only way for women to resist oppression and reclaim social justice.

AUWVO warns that the continuation of this oppressive approach will have serious and long-term consequences for Afghan society as a whole. It is incumbent upon everyone not to remain silent in the face of human rights violations and to work towards justice and equality.
Afghan United Women’s Voice
Organization (AUWVO)

Wednesday, 11 February 2026