We Are Not Yet Done With the Women’s Rights Agenda, Far From It: Injustice for Women Anywhere is a Threat to Women’s Rights Everywhere

Upon reading the news of the Taliban enacting further restrictive laws on women's rights in Afghanistan, I was moved to tears. As a woman deeply rooted in my faith, I struggle to imagine a world where I cannot freely pray and connect with my sisters. As a sociologist of gender and a committed feminist, the global state of women’s rights both confounds and deeply troubles me. Raised by strong women, I cry for my sisters because I believe in collective empowerment, where together we exercise our rights.

This morning, I reflected on my commitment to the empowerment of women and the full exercise of their rights. When I decided to stand for women's rights and advocate for equality, it was a commitment not just for women in similar circumstances to my own, but for women everywhere. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

Reflecting on our efforts to advocate for and support women, I realize how easily we can become wrapped up in our own worlds, focusing on nearby issues while forgetting the larger community of women who need our voices. Desmond Tutu once said, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor." While we may not be able to change the situation in Afghanistan directly, there is so much we can do in our own parts of the world to protect women's rights.

The belief that women’s rights are secure simply because we live in a relatively free part of the world is dangerously complacent. Evidence of ongoing challenges, including threats to reproductive rights in my own country, reminds us that the fight is far from over. I know we have heard this song before, but let's keep singing it.

Fundamentally, I believe we need to embrace a more conscious approach to supporting women’s rights. No matter our location, the rights we hold, or the freedoms we enjoy, it’s essential to recognize that these privileges should not be limited to a select few. Every woman and girl, regardless of where they are in the world, deserves to fully exercise her rights and take ownership of her life.

As advocates for gender equality, we must commit to doing our part to ensure that all women and girls have the opportunity to live their lives to their fullest potential. This means actively supporting and uplifting the women and girls in our communities while also considering those who face greater challenges worldwide. It also means reminding each other and teaching our girls of the struggles and sacrifices of those who fought for these rights.

As much as my students question whether we are done with women's rights, the events in Afghanistan remind us that we are far from finished. We must engage in conversations with young people, highlighting the injustices and oppressions women face worldwide. By teaching them about female freedom fighters, we ensure that the rights we enjoy today are not taken for granted.

I am humbled and grateful for my calling to women. To all the women under the Taliban’s regime, know that you serve a God who sees and hears you. May your silent prayers be answered, and may you find the strength to live out the freedom you were meant to have.

What specific actions can each of us undertake in our own communities to educate and support women and girls, enabling them to fully exercise and benefit from their rights? How can we also work to expand these rights where they are limited?

I would love?to hear your thoughts in the comments.