The United Nations (UN) ruled on Wednesday that since the Taliban took power, Afghanistan has become the most repressive country in the world for women and girls, deprived of many basic rights.
In a statement released on International Women’s Day, the UN mission in Afghanistan said the country’s new rulers had shown an “almost unique focus on enforcing rules that effectively lock the majority of women and girls into their homes.” .
Despite initial promises of a more moderate stance, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since taking power in August 2021, as US and NATO forces are in the final weeks of their withdrawal from Afghanistan after two decades of war.
The Taliban banned girls’ education beyond sixth grade and banned women from public areas such as parks and gyms.
Women are also not allowed to work in national and international non-governmental organizations and must walk around covered from head to toe.
“Afghanistan, under Taliban rule, remains the most repressive country in the world regarding women’s rights”said Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of Mission in Afghanistan.
“It was harrowing to witness their methodical, deliberate and systematic efforts to push Afghan women and girls out of the public sphere.”he added.
The restrictions, particularly the ban on education and work in non-governmental organizations, have drawn strong international condemnation, but the Taliban show no sign of leniency, claiming the bans are temporary suspensions, allegedly because the women do not wear the Islamic headscarf. wearing hijab correctly, and denying any gender segregation.
Regarding the ban on university education, the Taliban government claims that some of the subjects taught were not in line with Afghan and Islamic values.
Locking half the country’s population to their homes in one of the world’s greatest humanitarian and economic crises is a colossal act of national self-aggression.said Otunbayeva.
“This will not only condemn women and girls, but all Afghans, to poverty and dependence on aid for generations to come,” she insisted, adding, “It will further isolate Afghanistan from its own citizens and the rest of the world.”.
The UN mission in Afghanistan also said there has been an almost constant stream of discriminatory decrees and measures against women since the Taliban took power. Women are equally excluded from all levels of public decision-making.
“The implications of the harm the Taliban are inflicting on their own civilians go beyond women and girls.”said United Nations Special Representative Alison Davidian.
No Taliban-led government official was available to comment on these UN positions.
The UN Security Council will meet Otunbayeva and female representatives of Afghan civil society groups this Wednesday.
According to the statement, 11.6 million Afghan women and girls are in need of humanitarian assistance.
However, the Taliban are undermining international aid by banning women from working for non-governmental organisations.
Source: DN
