By Mene Prosper
In cities like Abuja, Kano, and Port Harcourt, hundreds gathered in peaceful marches, their voices amplified by the hashtag #WomenResist trending across social media. “What we’re seeing in Afghanistan is a mirror to our struggles here,” said Zainab Mohammed, a prominent activist in Kano, addressing a crowd outside the city’s central market. “When they stand up, we stand with them—because silence is not an option.”
The protests, unfolding at 9:49 PM WAT, linked the Afghan women’s courage to Nigeria’s persistent challenges, where recent surveys show one in three women still faces domestic violence.
The spark came from fresh accounts out of Afghanistan, where women have risked severe punishment to defy Taliban edicts, a story dominating global news cycles today. In Nigeria, organizers tied this resistance to local demands for stronger laws against gender-based violence and greater cultural freedoms, with placards reading “From Kabul to Kano: Women Rise.” The marches drew a diverse crowd—students, professionals, and traders—united in a rare cross-continental show of unity.
International human rights groups praised the Nigerian response, with UN Women noting on social media that such solidarity “lights a path toward global change.” Yet the protests also faced pushback, with some local voices questioning the focus on foreign struggles amid Nigeria’s own crises.
