RASC News Agency: Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, delivered a stark critique at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, denouncing the Taliban’s use of legal measures in Afghanistan. He stated that Afghanistan law is being manipulated to entrench the “systematic repression” of women and girls, functioning as a tool for promoting violence and enforcing their subjugation.
Previously, Guterres had pointed out that the Taliban’s persistent restrictions on women are not only unjust but also hinder Afghanistan’s progress. He warned that these regressive policies will push the country further into instability and violence, undermining any prospects for development and prosperity.
He emphasized that Afghanistani women now face an acute crisis marked by relentless oppression and institutionalized gender discrimination, with the Taliban arbitrarily subjecting them to violence and severe hardship. Guterres further asserted that the Taliban’s new legal framework has effectively codified the erasure of women from public life. He also criticized the glaring gender inequality at the UN’s annual session, remarking that despite years of advocacy for gender equality, “the stark imbalance between men and women remains evident even within the United Nations itself.”
“At present, women constitute less than 10% of the speakers in the general debate,” he added. Since the Taliban’s seizure of power in Afghanistan, women have been systematically stripped of their rights, excluded from employment, education, and public roles. The group has perpetrated widespread violence against women, with numerous reports documenting these abuses. The Taliban’s legal framework has only deepened their oppression, tightening restrictions and perpetuating an environment of fear and injustice for Afghanistani women.
