Kabul [Afghanistan]September 12 (ANI): Father of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai, has condemned anti-women policies and “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.
Ziauddin Yousafzai the father of Malala, an international advocate for girls’ education Yousafzai has declared support for the campaign by women’s rights activists by sharing a post on her social media platform “X” on the ninth day of a hunger strike by women’s rights activists in Cologne, Germany.
He said: “We demand that the world recognize Afghanistan as a place where gender apartheid is prevalent.” The post shared by Yousafzai is a picture of himself with his wife at an airport, holding a placard with hashtags that read “End Gender Apartheid” and “Let Afghan Girls Educate.”
The campaign has been active for several months now and aims to draw attention to the issue globally. Although almost ten days ago, some of these activists began a hunger strike in Cologne, Germany, according to Khaama Press.
However, Tamana Zaryab Paryani, a participant in the hunger strike, was hospitalized on the ninth day of the strike due to deteriorating health.
On the fourth day of the strike, she vented her frustration and highlighted the world’s failure to support the rights and freedoms of Afghan women despite their struggle and suffering. In addition, their hunger strike has received international attention. A gender activist from Afghanistan has started a hunger strike in Sweden in support of the activists in Germany. In addition to this, Afghan women refugees in Pakistan have also shown support for the strikers and have warned that more people will join hunger strikes worldwide if the global community does not heed their demands, Khaama Press reported.
The German Foreign Ministry with a representative and a deputy of the regional parliament visited the hunger strikers yesterday after two of them were hospitalised. They further demanded that they end the hunger strike.
Ziauddin Yousafzai has also joined the protestors saying “We are going to the city of Cologne in Germany to stand beside Tamana Zaryab Paryany and Zarmina Paryany and other brave activists for the 12-day hunger strike. We demand that the world recognize Afghanistan as a place where gender apartheid is prevalent.” The term “gender apartheid” was first used by Afghanistan’s Acting Permanent Representative to the United Nations to highlight the seriousness of the situation in Afghanistan under Taliban control.
According to Khaama Press, a Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and a Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls later wrote in their joint report on the situation of Afghan women and girls, noting that the Taliban’s policies would lead to “sexual violence”. “constitutes a crime against humanity. (ANI)
Source: sn.dk