Zahra Joya Calls for Global Solidarity with Afghan Women

Journalist and author Zahra Joya called for global solidarity with women in Afghanistan, stating they are fighting alone in a gender war against Taliban authorities. Speaking from London on the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's 2021 return to power, Joya highlighted the systemic discrimination and isolation faced by women, who are restricted to their homes and banned from education beyond primary school.

Joya, the founder of Rukhshana Media and a member of the Hazara ethnic minority, detailed her own experience of fleeing Kabul after the regime change. She continues to support journalists operating in secrecy within Afghanistan and recently published a memoir, "The Vanishing Girl of Kabul," to chronicle the plight of Afghan women.

Urging international governments to be held accountable for their engagement with the Taliban, Joya emphasized the need for the world to listen to the stories of those remaining in Afghanistan.