The Symposium brought together a diverse range of voices on women’s resistance, expressed through art and cultural diplomacy, by convening academics, activists, and artists from conflict-affected contexts. The conference examined how women artists—particularly those in exile or from conflict-affected societies—resist both the material violence of war and the symbolic violence of exclusion through their creative practices. Their art serves not only as a means of survival and resilience but also as a powerful assertion of agency and political presence.

The Ambassador of Afghanistan in Vienna, Manizha Bakhtar delivered the opening remarks alongside several distinguished speakers. She reminded the audience that “art is not a luxury – it is a necessity” and highlighted the harsh reality in Afghanistan, where the Taliban have banned art and music and are systematically erasing cultural heritage. She also spoke about the prohibition of books authored by women, emphasizing that silencing female voices in literature and the arts effectively erases an essential part of society.

The symposium further spotlighted Afghan women artists in exile, including visual artist Maryam Gholamali and singer-composer Elaha Soroor, who use their creativity as a form of resistance, demonstrating that Afghan women continue to produce beauty and resilience despite attempts to suppress them.

• https://events.ceu.edu/2025-10-02/symposium-womens-resistance-art-and-cultural-diplomacy
• https://cefres.cz/en/events/womens-resistance-art-and-cultural-diplomacy/
• https://www.facebook.com/AfghanistanInAT