by Artemis
In April, the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) changed its rules to recognize Afghan Women United as Afghanistan’s official national women’s team. In 2021, the brutally theocratic Taliban regime took over, banning women’s sports. Team members lived in fear until they evacuated, moving to Australia, Europe and the U.S. FIFA sponsored them as a refugee squad. The team campaigned for five years for FIFA to change the rules, setting a groundbreaking precedent. “This is about more than just football, it’s about sending a message that no government should have the power to erase women from public life,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance.
Team member Mona Amini stated, “The only thing humans want is freedom, and the Taliban took our freedom. It is really difficult that you cannot educate, you cannot play sport, you cannot go outside or you cannot do what you love or follow your dreams. Our team might be the one to change the way the people think and also the way that things are happening towards the girls and women in Afghanistan. We’re all trying our best to show that women and girls can be part of the society and can be someone who is in education or in sport, that women also have the right to do that.”
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Persepolis, Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novel
On June 4, Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-French comic book author, film director, actor and children’s book author, died at age 56. She is best known for her autobiographical graphic novel Persepolis (2003-2004), which she adapted into an animated film. The book describes her childhood and young adulthood under the violent, misogynist, theocratic regime that came to power after the Iranian Revolution. It also describes xenophobia and homelessness she experienced in Austria. Her graphic novels Embroideries (2006) and Chicken with Plums (2009), which she directed as a movie in 2011, are set in Iran. She directed “Radioactive” (2019) about scientist Marie Curie. Satrapi edited and contributed to the graphic novel Woman, Life, Freedom (2024) about the struggles of women and men in the recent Iranian uprising. Her work expresses the humanity of the Iranian people and that “human nature is made for freedom.”
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On June 1, in Kenya, thousands of women demonstrated in the capital, Nairobi, against inefficient investigations of increasing femicides and child disappearances. Protesters give the government 40 days to declare this situation to be a national crisis or face nationwide protests. They demand stronger protections, faster investigations, harsher penalties, and more support for victims’ families. The march was organized by the End Femicide movement and joined by feminist, human rights, and child protection organizations. Former Chief Justice David Maraga also marched. Demonstrators wore white and carried red roses and coffins. Signs read “Stop Femicide in Kenya,” “Stop Killing Women,” “Enough is Enough,” “We are Tired of Mourning,” and “End Pedicide.” A wall listed the names of the dead. The Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya receives about 70 cases of violence against women per week. There were over 10,500 child protection cases from January 2025 to March 2026 and 2,328 missing children.