A vigil is set to take place in Taunton to stand in solidarity with Afghan women and girls.

Organised by the Women’s Rights Network, Somerset and Dorset, the vigil aims to highlight the plight of Afghan women and girls under Taliban rule.

The 15-minute candlelight vigil will be held outside the Market House on December 7 at 4pm and is open to all.

It marks the beginning of a series of vigils across the country every few weeks, leading up to a mass participation event in London in spring 2025.

Since the Taliban regained control, women and girls in Afghanistan have faced severe physical and emotional hardships, with continuous oppressive mandates restricting their education, public life, and cultural and social participation.

The organisers said: "It is very hard to understand what it must be like to endure the increasingly maniacal laws that Afghan women are having to deal with as prisoners in their own lives.

"The suppression of women's voices is a fundamental attack on human liberty.

"There is no justification for the gender apartheid appalling oppression of women, who are being gagged and silenced."

They added: "Please join us on December 7 to show these women and girls that they are not forgotten."