Nine Security Council Members Condemn Taliban’s Treatment of Women as Crimes Against Humanity

Nine Security Council Members Condemn Taliban’s Treatment of Women as Crimes Against Humanity
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Nine members of the United Nations Security Council have strongly condemned the Taliban’s escalating repression in Afghanistan, describing gender-based violence and discrimination as crimes against humanity. The joint statement was issued by Denmark, France, Greece, Guyana, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom.

The countries criticized the Taliban’s strict enforcement of its “morality law,” which has stripped Afghan women and girls of fundamental freedoms, including access to healthcare, education, and economic rights. The ongoing ban on women working in NGOs and UN agencies, they stressed, deprives vulnerable communities of critical aid.

The nine nations urged the Taliban to lift all restrictions on women’s access to humanitarian services, reinstate their right to education beyond primary school—including medical training—and reopen opportunities for employment and social participation.

The statement expressed support for the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrants against Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and Chief Justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani, calling for accountability and an end to impunity for international crimes.

Despite severe restrictions, Afghan women continue to run businesses, serve as aid workers and midwives, and lead local initiatives. The statement emphasized safeguarding their equal participation in society and backing UN-led efforts in Doha to advance women’s rights in Afghanistan.