Imagine waking up tomorrow morning and stepping outside to a world where only male voices fill the air. You pass by women on your way to work, just as you did the day before, but today, none of them are speaking. At most, they exchange whispers. As you stroll through a park, you notice a mother rocking her baby to sleep in silence—no lullaby, no comforting melody—just quiet. This scene, which could easily be mistaken for a dystopian film or an Orwellian narrative, is the harsh reality now unfolding in Afghanistan. The Taliban has decreed that not only are women’s faces and bodies to be hidden, but even their voices are no longer permitted in public life.

This devastating development, part of a series of oppressive laws, marks three years since the hasty withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which allowed the Taliban to regain control. The global media has reported on this disturbing news, but it has not garnered the attention it desperately needs. There have been no widespread protests, no mass movements to decry this violation of fundamental human rights. Yet, we should all be appalled and outraged by such a decision, for silencing a woman’s voice is a profound act of violence that wounds the entire human community. It transcends any religious, ethnic, or cultural boundaries.

As Pope Francis often reminds us, we are all interconnected—“members of one another.” This means that the plight of Afghan women and girls is not just theirs to bear alone; it is ours as well. We must raise our voices for them, for those who have been robbed of their own.

Three years ago, on August 31, American troops completed their withdrawal from Afghanistan, leading to the Taliban’s swift return to power. Since then, the lives of Afghan women have turned into an unending nightmare. The signs were there: first, girls over the age of 12 were barred from schools, stripping away their future. Then, step by step, all their basic rights were taken from them. And now, their voices have been silenced in public spaces.

In a world where news often passes us by too quickly, we must not forget that millions of women in Afghanistan have been forbidden to speak, forbidden to sing. In 2024, women in Afghanistan have not only lost their voices but also their hope of a better future. It is up to us, the global community, to ensure that their silence does not go unnoticed and that their plight does not remain unchallenged. We must raise our voices for those who can no longer raise theirs.