Martina Navratilova delivers scathing reply to critics questioning women's roles in addressing oppression amid child marriage crisis in Afghanistan

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova recently responded to critics questioning women's roles in addressing oppression. Known for her fierce advocacy for women's rights, Navratilova's comments came in the wake of a heart-wrenching report on forced child marriages in Afghanistan.

The issue of forced child marriages in Afghanistan has once again come under the spotlight following the resurfacing of a 2021 CNN video report. This report shed light on the tragic story of Parwana, a nine-year-old Afghan girl sold into marriage with a 55-year-old man.

Navratilova shared the distressing video on her social media on Sunday, December 8. The video revealed the dire conditions faced by Parwana's family, who had been living in a camp for displaced persons following her father's job loss.

With limited means to support his family, Parwana's father saw no option but to sell her for 200,000 Afghanis (approximately $2,200). Outraged by this grim reality, Navratilova reshared the video on X (formerly Twitter) with a blunt condemnation:

"Monsters, all of them who allow this."

A user responded to Navratilova's post, questioning why American women do not protest and stand up for these oppressed girls.

"And American women are so oppressed. Why don’t they ever protest and stand up for these poor women and girls," the user wrote.

In a sharp and thought-provoking reply, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion said that the focus should be on stopping the men who perpetrate these horrific practices, rather than placing blame on women, writing:

"Funny how you, a man I am guessing, seem to think women need to do something rather than try to stop the men who are doing the oppressing…"

Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, Afghanistan has reportedly witnessed a severe regression in women's rights, with girls being barred from attending school beyond the sixth grade and facing significant restrictions on education and employment. These harsh measures have driven many Afghan families into extreme poverty, leading them to make devastating choices to survive.

---

Martina Navratilova condemns ICC for alleged inequity against Afghan women’s cricket players

Martina Navratilova during the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards press conference (Image source: Getty)

Martina Navratilova criticized the International Cricket Council (ICC), accusing its male-dominated leadership of prioritizing male athletes while disregarding Afghanistan's women's cricket team.

In June 2024, sports journalist Raf Nicholson condemned the ICC for its lack of action, highlighting the disparity between Afghanistan’s men’s team, which trains internationally, and the women’s team, which is completely denied training and competitive opportunities.

Navratilova amplified Nicholson’s concerns by sharing her tweet and calling out the ICC for fostering gender inequality, writing:

"Shame on all these men who keep giving male athletes every advantage possible denying same for women athletes."

Earlier this week, Martina Navratilova strongly criticized the Taliban's recent ban on Afghan women pursuing medical studies, denouncing their actions as "evil."