Part 1
Oslo, Norway — March 7, 2026

A conference marking International Women’s Day brought together human rights advocates, researchers, and civil society representatives in Oslo to address the ongoing crisis facing women and girls in Afghanistan.

The event, titled “International Women’s Day and Afghan Women Deprived of Rights,” was organized by the Women Justice Movement, founded by Hoda Khamosh, in collaboration with the Dialogue Hub for Common Ground, led by Nazifa Jalali.

The conference opened with remarks from Hoda Khamosh and Nazifa Jalali, who emphasized the importance of international solidarity with Afghan women resisting systemic discrimination.

They highlighted the resilience of Afghan women activists both inside the country and in exile, noting that despite years of severe repression, women continue to advocate for their rights and document human rights violations.

The keynote address was delivered by Bjørn Storøsten Jensen, Special Envoy of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Afghanistan. He stressed the importance of sustained international attention to Afghanistan’s human rights situation and reaffirmed the need to support the fundamental rights of Afghan women and girls.

Organizers noted that the conference aimed not only to raise awareness but also to encourage meaningful dialogue on how the international community can respond more effectively to what many advocates describe as gender apartheid in Afghanistan.