Manizha Talash, the Afghan breakdancer from the refugee team disqualified at the Paris Olympics last month for displaying "Free Afghan Women" on her cape, said she had planned the protest for four months and would do it again.
Living in Spain, Talash wore a light blue cape with the phrase in large white letters during her pre-qualifier match against India Sardjoe of the Netherlands at Place de la Concorde.
She drew inspiration from the "Hunger Games" movie for her statement.
Political slogans and statements are prohibited on the field of play and on podiums at the Olympics.
The governing body of breaking later confirmed the 21-year-old’s disqualification.
"As long as I can remember, I grew up with the sound of bombs around me every day, with my loved ones, some of whom I lost in the bombings," Talash, who was in Paris after a local association for Afghan women raised funds to fly her from Spain, told Reuters at the Paralympic Games. There, fellow Afghan Zakia Khudadadi clinched a bronze medal in taekwondo, a first for a para-athlete from a refugee team at the Olympics.
"I am like a bomb because I grew up with bombs around me.
"I used the first competition, the first dance performance I was able to do, to act directly and highlight the action I wanted to take. If I had to do it again, I would do the same."
The Taliban’s restrictions on women and freedom of expression have drawn sharp criticism from rights groups and many foreign governments since the former insurgents resumed control of Afghanistan in 2021.
Women's cause
Talash, who stayed in Pakistan for a year hoping to return to her home country before moving to Spain after the Taliban took Kabul three years ago, said Afghan women were "in a cage" and it was her duty to "resist."
"For four months, I thought about what I could do so that the cause of Afghan women would be heard," she said.
"But I want to be clear that this was not a political message; it was a message I wanted to send to the world.
"I’m not just a sports person; I’m a hip-hop person who wants to be able to think and dress differently.
"My message was not about wearing the hijab or not; it was about freedom of movement and education for women in Afghanistan," Talash added in a press conference, tears rolling down her cheeks.
After drying her eyes, two pearly jewels resembling tears remained under them.
"It’s a message and, in the same way, it’s the idea that a woman’s tears are important and that we have to be very careful not to make women shed tears," she said.
Western capitals, led by Washington, have said the path to formal recognition of the Taliban is largely stalled until they reverse course on women’s rights and open high schools to girls.
"I’m also fighting for this generation, but also for future generations who will end up being illiterate," Talash said.
"The burqa (cape) I wore at the Olympics was a symbol – like wings for Afghan women to take flight and break free."