Afghan Women’s Rights Activists Submit Shadow Report Highlighting Taliban Abuses

Afghan Women’s Rights Activists Submit Shadow Report Highlighting Taliban Abuses
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Afghan women’s rights activists have presented a shadow report to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), detailing systematic discrimination and repression under Taliban rule, Afghanistan International reported. The session in Geneva was attended by Afghanistan’s UN ambassador, human rights organizations, and committee members.

The report, reviewed in detail, assesses women’s political participation, access to education, healthcare, and other fundamental rights. Fawzia Koofi, former deputy speaker of Afghanistan’s parliament, emphasized that since the Taliban’s return in 2021, women have been excluded from most public, educational, political, and economic activities, violating CEDAW Articles 7 and 8.

Koofi called on Germany, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands to expedite efforts to refer the Taliban to the International Court of Justice, citing worsening human rights conditions. Participants urged coordinated international pressure on the Taliban to fulfill treaty obligations.

Afghanistan acceded to CEDAW in 2003, but with no recognized government now, women activists compiled this report to represent the country’s current situation. The document will be circulated to CEDAW states parties for further comment.