KABUL (Khaama Press): Many advocates for women’s rights are calling for practical actions from the global community to advance gender equality and women’s rights in Afghanistan. On October 26, UN Women convened a meeting that brought together women’s rights advocates and representatives from countries such as the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and several others to discuss the situation of women in Afghanistan.
During this session, the participants engaged in a dialogue concerning women’s rights and gender equality in Afghanistan. Sima Bahous, the Executive Director of UN Women, emphasized the political and social participation of women in the future governance of Afghanistan during this meeting. She stressed that Afghan women must have a central role in decisions related to their country. She also highlighted the gender inequality in Afghanistan, describing the repressive actions of the Taliban administration as a form of gender apartheid.
Habiba Sarabi, a women’s rights advocate and former government negotiator in Doha, and Adela Raz, former Afghan Ambassador to the United States, were also present at this session. They called upon the global community to take practical steps to advance gender equality and women’s rights in Afghanistan. Sarabi stated that the fundamental and natural rights of women in Afghanistan have been stripped away and stressed the importance of allowing Afghan women to speak for themselves about their destiny and participate on international platforms.
It should be noted that women in Afghanistan have faced severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban administration in the past two years, affecting their fundamental rights, including the right to education, the right to work, and the right to access public spaces.
The United Nations and its member countries have strongly condemned the current situation in Afghanistan as oppressive and believe that orders issued by the Taliban administration restricting women’s freedoms should be immediately revoked. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) previously stated that around 50 restrictive orders aimed at limiting women’s lives and work have been issued in the past two years since the Taliban took power.
Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Rapporteur on Afghan affairs, whose mission in Afghanistan was recently extended, stated that they are preparing a report that highlights the existence of gender apartheid in Afghanistan and will release it in the coming months.
