A group of Afghan men dressed in light-blue burqas turned heads on the streets of Kabul on Thursday during a march to call attention to women's rights.

The roughly 20 men waved banners with slogans like "women's pain is our pain, equality is our slogan" and "we say no to all forms of violence" while cloaked from head to toe in the floor-length garments with only a small mesh fabric opening to peer out from.

Burqas became a symbol of oppression during the heavy-handed Taliban rule of the 1990s when women were forced to cover themselves in the clothing at all times when in public. While the 2001 U.S.-led invasion put an end to the rule, the garments are still a common sight in the country.

Watchdog groups warn that with ebbing international interest, the country is beginning to backslide on progress made towards women's freedoms in the past decade. Human Rights Watch reports that women in Afghanistan still face an increased danger of violence and abuse. The march was planned to commemorate the upcoming International Women's Day on Sunday.