WORDS Organisation

This August will mark five dark years since the fall of Afghanistan and the beginning of an unprecedented assault on the rights and freedoms of Afghan women and girls.

We call on everyone who cares about humanity, justice, and women’s rights to stand with us in this mission. As we get closer to this important milestone, we will share more details on this mission.

Zan Times

On April 20, WORDS hosted a live panel discussion titled “Afghanistan 2026: Women Under Siege — drawing on the March 2026 joint report of the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) and UNAMA.”

Our four panellists — Freshta Abbasi (Human Rights Watch), Sange Sediqi (D66, Netherlands), Lina Rozbih (senior journalist and writer), and Foruzan Amiri (Ravi Zan media) came together to examine the deepening crisis facing Afghan women from legal, political, journalistic, and human perspectives.

The conversation covered ground that rarely makes it into formal reports. Freshta Abbasi confirmed that in 2026, Afghan women face the worst documented situation of women anywhere in the world — including a new Taliban law that removes criminal liability for family violence, and advancing ICC gender persecution proceedings that are already making Taliban leaders cautious about international travel. Sange Sediqi broke down the structural limits of the ICC's reach into Afghanistan, and why communications through the ICJ remain entirely one-directional. Lina Rozbih drew a clear distinction between restriction and what she called systematic erasure, the removal of 77% of Afghan women from work, education, and public life, and challenged international institutions to match the media's documentation with real accountability. Foruzan Amiri grounded the conversation in what she hears directly from women inside Afghanistan: a situation that is catastrophic, but met with a quiet, persistent, and remarkable resistance.

The full event record is available at the link below. We encourage anyone working in human rights, policy, journalism, or international law to read it and share it.
https://x.com/wordsword62/status/2046234391781711906?s=46

https://x.com/wordsword62/status/2046234391781711906?