Zakia Khudadadi's Historic Victory: Afghanistan's First Paralympic Medal and a Symbol of Women's Resistanc

Zakia Khudadadi, a para-taekwondo athlete from Afghanistan and a member of the refugee team, won a bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics on Thursday (August 29). She is the first Afghan athlete to win a medal in the history of the Paralympics. Prior to her achievement, four other Afghan athletes had not won any medals in these games. Khudadadi advanced to the bronze medal match by defeating competitors from Cuba, Uzbekistan, and Turkey. In the final match, her Moroccan opponent withdrew due to injury, and Khudadadi secured her first Paralympic medal. This victory is not only Khudadadi’s first Paralympic medal but also the first medal for Afghanistan and the refugee team in these competitions.

Khudadadi had also carried the Olympic torch at the opening of the 2024 Paris Games. At that time, she expressed her excitement and commitment to becoming the first Afghan woman to win a medal in the event. Khudadadi stated that she was representing millions of refugees at the Paralympics and aimed to show that people with disabilities and refugees are symbols of peace, acceptance, friendship, and courage.

Previously, Khudadadi participated in the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics and was the flag-bearer for Afghanistan at the closing ceremony. She was also crowned the European Para-Taekwondo Champion in 2023. After the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, Khudadadi fled the country and sought asylum in France. Following a request from the international community, she was allowed to compete for her country.

After her victory at the 2024 Paralympics, Khudadadi emphasized that the medal "belongs to all the women of Afghanistan and refugees around the world." And while she shines as a woman in global sports stage, the Taliban have recently declared women's voices to be "awrah" and imposed a mandatory full cover on them.

The bronze medal win by Zakia Khudadadi at the Paris 2024 Paralympics has garnered extensive national and international reactions. Many Afghan citizens, including political leaders and cultural figures, have recognized this achievement as a testament to the capability and potential of Afghan women.

Farhad Darya, a renowned singer, shared a photo of Khudadadi on his Facebook page, writing: "Zakia Khudadadi, by winning the bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics, has become the voice of the suffering of Afghan women and girls."

The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan described Khudadadi’s victory as "a sign of the perseverance of women against the prevailing terror and ignorance." The political office of this front stated that "Zakia Khudadadi’s victory proves that Afghan women are never to be destroyed."

Nilofar Langar, a journalist, wrote: "You are not ‘awrah’. Zakia Khudadadi won the bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics. She is the true face of Afghan women—face of suffering, pain, struggle, and invincibility."

Sohraab Seerat, a poet, wrote: "Zakia Khudadadi is a manifestation of struggle, resilience, and beautiful history-making. She is not only the first woman in our country’s history to win a medal in an international sport but also the first medalist for the refugee team in the Paralympics. She has made all refugees around the world proud with the refugee flag."

Ali Nazari, a journalist, reacted to Khudadadi’s bronze medal win by stating on his Facebook page: "Now Zakia has won a medal, but in her own country, there is neither a government that considers her equal to men, nor rights granted to her, nor permission to play sports. Khudadadi now has no right to travel to her homeland and celebrate with her people. In her country, women don’t even have the right to sit in the shade of a tree. Women’s voices in Zakia’s country are deemed ‘awrah’."

The Paralympic Games described Khudadadi's bronze medal as a "historic victory." The organization stated: "Zakia Khudadadi has won the first Paralympic medal for the refugee team with a bronze in taekwondo."

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees congratulated Khudadadi and described her achievement as "a demonstration of the incredible power of sport in changing lives."

Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, described Khudadadi's victory as "exciting" and said: "Such a message brings hope and strength to millions of refugee women."

Human Rights Watch described this win as historic for Afghan women. The organization noted that Khudadadi's victory came just days after the Taliban announced a "new law" against women.

Recently, the Taliban has signed a new "commanding good and forbidding wrong" law, which regards women's voices, faces, bodies, and appearances in public places as "awrah."

The significance of this victory for Afghan women highlights Zakia Khudadadi's achievement as a strong message of resistance and perseverance amidst the Taliban's continued repressive laws against women. This victory is not only a sports achievement but also a symbol of the struggle for women's rights.