Art Blog #42
- Paul Connor
- Apr 20
- 2 min read
Highlighting human rights violations through art - Afghan street artist Shamsia Hassani
About the Artist
Ommolbanin Hassani; born 9 April 1988) is an Afghani street artist , a fine arts lecturer, and the associate professor of Drawing and Anatomy Drawing at the Kabul University.
She has popularized "street art" in the streets of Kabul and has exhibited her art in several countries including India, Iran, Germany, United States of America, Switzerland, Vietnam, Norway, Denmark, Türkiye, Italy, Canada, and in diplomatic missions in Kabul.
Hassani paints graffiti in Kabul to bring awareness to the war years.
In 2014, Hassani was named one of FP's top 100 global thinkers.
Wikipedia
Shamsia recently wrote:
Currently, Afghan women are living in difficult conditions, they are deprived of their basic human rights. Among all the restrictions and problems, the most worrying thing is for the girls of the new generation, the lack of education and freedom has plunged the girls of the new generation into a black hole.
The subject of my paintings is about us and our destiny; about the women and people who live in difficult conditions in Afghanistan, and also about those who unwillingly left their homeland and soul in Afghanistan and migrated, like me!
And I feel people in the world who are in similar situations to us, and I know the words of their hearts.
The unspeakable things that are better expressed with pictures and will definitely be more effective.
Courtesy of Shamsia's Instagram
Human Rights violations against women in Afghanistan
(Quick overview)
Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, there have been severe violations of women's rights:
- Women and girls have been banned from entering amusement parks, public baths, gyms, and sports clubs.
- Women have been excluded from public office and the judiciary.
- Almost all education for women and girls has been banned.
- Punishments including stoning, lashing, and amputation have been imposed.
- Women have been confined to their homes unless escorted by a male family member.
- Access to employment and freedom of movement has been denied.
The Taliban's actions have created a serious women's rights crisis.
Human Rights Watch recently wrote:
The human rights situation in Afghanistan continued to deteriorate in 2023 as the Taliban committed widespread human rights violations, particularly against women and girls. Afghanistan remained the only country where women and girls could not access secondary and higher education and were banned from most employment with international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and the United Nations (except in health care, nutrition, and primary education). Women also faced significant barriers to freedom of movement and speech. Human Rights Watch has concluded that the pattern of abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan amounts to the crime against humanity of gender persecution.
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