UN Deputy Chief Sounds Alarm Over Afghan Women’s Rights

DID Press: UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed voiced renewed concern over the status of women’s rights in Afghanistan, warning that millions of women and girls are facing severe restrictions on their fundamental freedoms. She said the constraints cover access to education, employment, personal security, and freedom of movement.

In a post on X, Mohammed wrote that the international community must not turn a blind eye to these violations, stressing that women’s rights everywhere are human rights.

Taliban authorities, however, have repeatedly insisted that women’s rights in Afghanistan are guaranteed “within Islamic law,” saying women live with dignity and respect. Officials cite a six-point decree by the Taliban’s supreme leader that, they argue, commits tribal elders, religious scholars, and local leaders to protect and implement women’s Islamic rights.

They also maintain that girls’ education will resume only when what they describe as “appropriate and Islamic conditions” are in place.