Tamana Zaryab Paryani
Tamana Zaryab Paryani is a prominent human rights activist from Afghanistan who co-founded the Afghan Women’s Protest Movement and bravely led demonstrations after the Taliban takeover in 2021. In 2022, she was detained by the Taliban for her human rights activism, sparking international outcry. Since then, she has advocated for the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for their crimes against women, including in her capacity as the Founder of the Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan.
Today, as we reflect on the state of women’s rights globally, the situation I have described in Afghanistan tells the story of what happens when every principle that the Women, Peace and Security agenda stands for is ignored: when women are forced out of public life, when their rights are routinely violated, and when there are no mechanisms to hold violators accountable.
At the Security Council
Tamana Zaryab Paryani was selected to represent civil society at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security in October 2025. She spoke in her capacity as a human rights activist.