UN top officials call for addressing persecution against women under Taliban rule
Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the United Nations, has emphasized that the ongoing oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan is severely jeopardizing the country’s future.
In her latest statement, Al-Nashif stressed the need for the international community to take a firm stance against the systematic discrimination and violence faced by women under Taliban rule.
She pointed out that various decrees issued by the Taliban authorities have increasingly excluded women and girls from public life, confining them to their homes and depriving them of basic rights, including education, employment, and freedom of movement.
These policies, she noted, do not align with the Taliban’s claims of protecting women’s rights within the framework of Islamic Sharia.
Currently, Afghanistan is the only country that prevents girls from receiving education beyond the primary level. This ban threatens to hinder their development and future opportunities, negatively impacting the social and cultural fabric of the nation.
In his latest report to the Human Rights Council, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, indicated that the Taliban’s repressive measures against women and girls could amount to crimes against humanity, calling for the use of all possible means, including international courts, to hold those responsible for these violations accountable.
Bennett urged the international community to support human rights defenders in Afghanistan and ensure their engagement in international discussions, including the upcoming meeting in Doha, affirming that improving human rights in Afghanistan is essential for achieving sustainable peace and stability in the country.
In this context, the international community must intensify efforts to pressure the Taliban to reverse their repressive policies and ensure that Afghan women and girls enjoy their fundamental rights, paving the way for a better and more inclusive future for the country.
