Global acceptance of Taliban depends on respecting women's rights: US Envoy

If Taliban does not respect women's rights, it cannot join the international community, the US envoy for Afghan women and human rights, Rina Amiri said, Khaama Press reported on Saturday.

Amiri, on her social media platform X, revealed that during the 78th UN General Assembly, she engaged in high-level meetings with officials from various countries, concentrating specifically on Afghanistan and the challenges faced by women and girls.

According to Amiri, officials delivered a clear message: The Taliban must respect Afghan and women's rights to be part of the international community, according to Khaama Press.

During a meeting with representatives of Muslim-majority countries on the sidelines of the UNGA, there was unanimous agreement that the Taliban's oppressive policies, especially towards women and girls, are incompatible with global norms and deeply harmful to Afghanistan.

The participants committed to sustaining international solidarity for Afghanistan and emphasised the importance of diplomatic and concrete efforts to support Afghan women and girls.

Meanwhile, Amiri stressed the need for the international community to communicate to the Taliban that engagement seeks to improve the situation, conditional on respecting people's rights. She emphasised promoting civic discourse, tolerance, and meaningful representation for women and civil society in Afghanistan, Khaama Press reported.

She also called for concrete support, including education, scholarships, and job opportunities, to counter the Taliban's repressive actions.

Notably, with the resurgence of the Taliban in August 2021 in Afghanistan, the country's educational system has suffered a significant setback. As a result, girls have been deprived of access to education, and seminaries or religious schools have gradually filled the void left by schools and universities.

Afghanistan's women have faced numerous challenges since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. Girls and women in the war-torn country have no access to education, employment and public spaces.

A startling 80 per cent of Afghan girls and young women, who are of school-going age, are currently denied access to education under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, a new report by Care International stated, according to Khaama Press.

It has been more than two years since girls above grade six have been prohibited from attending schools in Afghanistan, and it is unclear when those doors will reopen, Tolo News reported.

Afghanistan remains the only country to ban girls' and women's education, resulting in a substantial economic toll of approximately $5.4 billion.