"VAN" (International Desk - 25.09.2024) :: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Monday that Afghanistan’s new laws “strip Afghan women and girls of their rights and freedoms across the board,” causing significant harm to the country.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Guterres described the situation as a “deep crisis of gender-based discrimination and oppression” against Afghan women.
“Afghan women and girls are largely confined to their homes, with no freedom of movement and almost no access to education or work,” he stated.
Guterres also highlighted the high rates of violence, honor killings, and increasing maternal mortality affecting Afghan women, adding that many feel “unsafe, isolated, and powerless.”
He emphasized that the oppression of women is detrimental to Afghanistan’s development. “Extreme gender-based discrimination is not only a systematic abuse of women and girls and a violation of human rights conventions and laws. It is self-harm on a national scale,” he said.
The UN Secretary-General urged Taliban authorities to lift all restrictions on women and girls, reopen schools, and allow women to participate in society fully.
“Without recognizing the rights of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage,” Guterres warned.
The international community has expressed growing concern over the treatment of women in Afghanistan, with many countries calling for action to restore women’s rights. Guterres’ remarks highlight the global demand for change and the need for Afghanistan to comply with international human rights standards.
Afghanistan’s future remains uncertain without the inclusion of women and girls in education and society. As Guterres emphasized, achieving national development and stability will be impossible if half the population continues to be denied basic rights and freedoms.
KP
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