RASC News Agency: UN Women has released a new report calling for immediate global action to end the ongoing oppression of Afghanistani women and girls, who have faced unprecedented levels of discrimination and violence since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. On Monday, June 10, the organization published its latest findings on the status of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, urging urgent international measures to halt the atrocities against Afghanistani women.
The report includes surveys and profiles of women experiencing gender discrimination since the Taliban’s rise to power, highlighting how 40 years of progress in women’s rights have been undone in less than three years by over 70 decrees issued by the Taliban. UN Women emphasized that the social isolation of women and girls is driving them to despair. According to the organization’s statistics, only 1% of women feel they have influence in society, while 8% of surveyed women know at least one woman who has committed suicide since August 2021. Additionally, 18% of participants reported not having met any women outside their families in the past three months.
The gender profile also shows that the cessation of education for 1.1 million girls and the ban on over 100,000 women attending university are linked to one in 50 maternal deaths in Afghanistan. One survey participant stated, “Women want the right to make decisions, not just in their homes but also in government and other spaces. They want education and employment; they want their rights.”
Despite nearly three years of Taliban rule, the gender profile indicates that Afghanistani women’s determination to claim their rights is growing stronger.
Alison Davidian, UN Women’s Special Representative in Afghanistan, said, “Afghanistani women are demonstrating extraordinary resilience. In the face of incredible challenges, they continue to run organizations, businesses, and provide services. We must invest in their resilience, and Afghanistan must remain at the top of the international agenda.”
UN Women has recommended supporting Afghanistani women’s civil society organizations with long-term funding to combat the current situation. The organization also urged the international community to avoid actions that could inadvertently support or normalize the Taliban’s discriminatory policies and norms. Furthermore, the report stressed the need to ensure that at least 30% of all financial aid to Afghanistan is directed toward initiatives explicitly aimed at promoting gender equality, women’s rights, and avoiding support for gender-blind projects.
Finally, the report suggested that human rights, with a specific focus on women’s rights, be integrated as a fundamental aspect of all humanitarian activities and essential human needs interventions. This report comes as women in Afghanistan continue to be banned from education, employment, and public spaces, with severe restrictions placed on their mobility by the Taliban.
