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Amid rising atrocities against Afghan women and violation of their fundamental rights, several human rights activists held a gathering in Istanbul recently and urged the international community to address their issues, especially young girls and their access to education under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.
The remark comes as Afghan women and girls continue to suffer under the Islamic Emirate leadership since the takeover last August. "For how long will the problem of Afghan women continue like this?" questioned Asifa Saba, a human rights defender who attended the event, as Khaama Press quoted. However, condemning the situation of women in Afghanistan, another women's rights defender said, "The gathering, which took place in Ankara, will not bring any result and I am sure it was just at the level of a meeting," said Zholia Parsa. "There has been no attention toward the situation of Afghanistan's women," she said. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report the previous month, outlining the human rights situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover. The report summarized UNAMA's findings with regards to the protection of civilians, extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and detentions, the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, fundamental freedoms and the situation in places of detention, according to Khaama Press. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has drawn heavy criticism across the world for a decree banning girls from schools above grade six. A decision taken by the Taliban prevented girls from returning to secondary school which meant that a generation of girls will not complete their full 12 years of basic education. At the same time, access to justice for victims of gender-based violence has been limited by the dissolution of dedicated reporting pathways, justice mechanisms and shelters. Earlier, UN Rights Chief, Michele Bachelet also expressed concern over alleged Human Rights Violations and abuses against civilians in the northern provinces, including arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, and torture, calling on all parties to the conflict to "observe restraint and to fully respect international human rights law". "Restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression, the right to peaceful assembly, and the right to participate in public affairs have all had a chilling effect on individuals and communities," the chief stated. Despite Taliban authorities' repeated commitments to respect human rights, civic space has shrunk rapidly and dramatically since their return to Kabul. The plight of Afghan women has continued to be deplorable in the country. Contrary to the Taliban's claims, girls were stopped from going to school beyond sixth grade on March 23 and a decree against the women's dress code was issued after a month. There are restrictions on movement, education and freedom of expression of women posing a threat to their survival. Not only this, the lack of female healthcare workers has prevented the women from accessing basic medical facilities, and the international donors, who fund 90 per cent of health clinics, are hesitant to send money because of their fear of the funds being misused. Around 80 per cent of women working in the media have lost their jobs, and almost 18 million women in the country are struggling for health, education and social rights. (ANI)
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