UN Advice Taliban To Adopt Women’s Rights Policy Similar To Other Muslim States
The UN rights director urged the Taliban on Friday to take cues from other Muslim nations in order to advance women’s rights and put an end to “systematic oppression” in Afghanistan.
Michelle Bachelet lamented the “desperate situation” faced by women and girls in Afghanistan when speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva.
According to her, “women and girls are facing the most severe and rapid roll-back in the enjoyment of their rights across the board since the Taliban returned to power last August.”
“If nothing happens soon, their future will be even bleaker.”
In response to an urgent council discussion on the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan, she demanded that the international community make a “more concerted effort” to pressure the Taliban to respect their rights.
She specifically stated, “I highly encourage the de facto authorities to interact with mostly Muslim nations with expertise in advancing women’s and girls’ rights, as recognized by international law, in that religious environment.”
A delegation from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation recently visited the nation, which was “a significant step.”
According to Bachelet, who visited Afghanistan in March, more than a million girls have been denied access to secondary education, and women are frequently forbidden from working or traveling alone, as well as being required to conceal their faces in public.
The Taliban made a pledge to pursue a gentler form of the strict Islamist rule that characterized their previous tenure in power from 1996 to 2001 when they took control almost a year ago.
They declared that, to the extent permitted by Islamic Sharia law, they will uphold their commitments for human rights, particularly women’s rights.
“Yet, despite these assurances, we are witnessing the institutionalized, systematic subjugation of women and girls, as well as their gradual exclusion from the public discourse,” Bachelet stated.
She requested that the Taliban abolish the rules requiring women to travel only when accompanied by a so-called maharam, or male guardian, and provide a specific date for the reopening of secondary schools for girls.
Additionally, she stated that “all acts of gender-based violence must be independently investigated and those guilty held accountable.”
