The Purple Saturdays Movement has sounded the alarm over the worsening plight of Afghan women and girls, decrying the Taliban’s ongoing violations of their rights and freedoms.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, 2 April, the Afghan women-led protest group called for global solidarity to support those affected.

“Millions of girls are denied education, barred from schools and universities, while countless women are stripped of their right to work and live freely,” the statement declared. “Afghan women are confined to their homes, trapped in fear, oppression, and despair.”

The movement also drew attention to the wider impact of these restrictions, noting a surge in mental health struggles, depression, and hopelessness among Afghan women and girls due to the persistent denial of basic rights. “With global solidarity and a united voice of protest, we can stand with Afghan women,” it urged. “This is not merely a moral obligation but a shared responsibility for us all.”

Despite sustained efforts by the Purple Saturdays Movement and international criticism, the Taliban has shown no sign of relaxing its policies nearly four years after seizing power. Afghan women and girls remain excluded from education beyond the sixth grade and prohibited from attending universities, with no policy shift in sight.