Among the bronze vines of Petrified Survivors, the world’s first memorial sculpture to all victims and survivors of conflict related sexual violence (CRSV), there is an almond blossom chosen by Hazara women as the symbol to represent their community. The blossom reflects the shape of their eyes, the feature that has marked the Hazara out for persecution for more than a century. Beside it sits a red tulip for all the women of Afghanistan, a flower that returns every spring after the frost.
KABUL, AFGHANISTAN - One in every two girls in Afghanistan were married before the age of 18, with child marriage continuing to threaten girls’ education, health and future opportunities, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Sunday, marking the International Day of the Girl Child. According to UNICEF, 28.7 percent of women aged 20 to 24 in Afghanistan were married before turning 18, based on the Afghanistan Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) 2022–2023. In some parts of the country, the rate reaches one in every two girls, the agency said.
Terrorism in Europe
Europe today faces a challenge that may seem small in scale, but its political and social impact is profound. Newly released reports from Europol, examining the state and trends of terrorism in Europe for 2024, show that jihadist attacks have not only failed to decrease, but their very nature is also changing.