"Red Lipstick": A Symbol of Afghan Women's Resistance Against Oppression
On International Women’s Day, a group of Afghan women protesters used red lipstick as a symbol of defiance, spreading their message of resistance to the world. They urged Afghan women both inside and outside the country to join the movement by sharing their photos on social media with the hashtags #RedForAfghanWomen and #MyLipsMyVoice.
In a statement, the protesters highlighted that red lipstick has historically symbolized women’s struggle for freedom—from the women’s suffrage movement in the early 20th century to acts of defiance during World War II. According to them, Afghan women are now using the color red to amplify their fight and show the world that they will never surrender.
This movement comes amid increasing restrictions imposed by the Taliban. On February 24, Taliban enforcers from the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice began house-to-house searches in Sar-e Pul province to confiscate women’s beauty products.
Earlier, in July 2023, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada ordered the closure of all women’s beauty salons nationwide, a move that left approximately 60,000 women unemployed and further diminished their already limited economic opportunities.
Despite the Taliban’s severe restrictions, Afghan women continue to resist through various means, including street protests, online campaigns, and symbolic acts like wearing specific colors to voice their defiance.
