For two years, the world has watched on in horror as Afghan women and girls have been systematically denied the most basic of human rights and freedoms.

They cannot study at university, secondary school or primary school beyond Grade 3. Women have been erased from public life and cannot work. Even beauty salons were ordered to be closed down - a last remaining source of income and place of refuge and sisterhood. Women cannot leave the house or travel without a male relative. They cannot go to parks, mosques or gyms.

This represents a tragic loss of dreams, hopes and freedoms. It is now termed as “gender apartheid” by academics and human rights experts - no other term captures the scale and scope of what the Taliban is doing.

For two years, a growing coalition of Afghan women and civil society organisations and activists have been working together in the UK and abroad. In November 2022, across cities around the world, many of you joined us in marching for freedom. Many of you joined our calls for the UN and governments to include Afghan women in discussions on the future of their count: talk to Afghan women, not about them. 

It is not enough for governments to simply issue strongly worded statements condemning gender apartheid. It is not enough for governments to engage with the Taliban without any conditions attached or without having met with Afghan women in their respective countries for soundings before they travel to such international meetings.

Governments must come together and listen to recommendations of Afghan women themselves. We have called for a Global Summit for Afghan women and girls. We need this to look at the range of intersectional issues affecting Afghan women and girls and chart a political pathway that is inclusive for all Afghans. 

We ask Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to use the UK's considerable convening power, and global leadership on the women and girls agenda to support a Global Summit on Afghan women and girls. We urge governments to step forward to help convene and co-host. But we need your help to make them listen and agree.