RASC News Agency: International media outlets have reported that Anneliese Dodds, the UK Minister for Women and Equalities, expressed deep concern over the “horrific” erosion of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. Speaking during a parliamentary session on Tuesday, January 14, Dodds emphasized that the UK officially joined the initiative to refer Afghanistan’s case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on January 9, 2025. Dodds made these remarks while responding to Lisa Smart, a Liberal Democrat MP, who questioned the UK government’s measures to address the Taliban’s oppressive policies against women. Smart asked, “What pressure is the British government applying on the Taliban to ensure women and girls can return to school?”
Dodds, who also serves as a minister overseeing development issues within the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, stated that the UK remains profoundly concerned about the systematic violations of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. She asserted, “We are actively exploring every avenue to apply pressure on the Taliban.” Dodds further highlighted, “On January 9, I announced that the UK has formally joined a coalition of nations committed to politically supporting the referral of Afghanistan’s case to the International Court of Justice, citing violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).”
In recent developments, countries including Chile, France, Mexico, Spain, Costa Rica, and Luxembourg have referred Afghanistan’s violations of women’s rights to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. These nations have urged the ICC prosecutor to investigate the persistent and systematic oppression of women and girls in Afghanistan. Previously, 24 other countries issued warnings to the Taliban, stating that if the group does not reconsider its repressive policies toward Afghanistani women, they will formally escalate the matter to the ICJ in The Hague.
