Excluding Afghan women from UN conference betrays

Human rights groups and former politicians have criticized the exclusion of Afghan women from an upcoming UN conference on Afghanistan, calling it a “betrayal” of women and girls in the country. Reports suggest the Taliban are demanding that no Afghan women participate in the UN meeting in Doha starting June 30, which aims to discuss the international community’s approach to Afghanistan.

Since regaining power in August 2021, the Taliban have significantly restricted women’s access to education, employment, and public spaces. In March, reports surfaced that the Taliban planned to reintroduce public flogging and stoning of women for adultery.

Tirana Hassan, executive director at Human Rights Watch, emphasized the dangers of excluding women from the conference. “Excluding women risks legitimizing the Taliban’s abuses and causing irreparable harm to the UN’s credibility as an advocate for women’s right.

Sima Samar, former Afghan minister of women’s affairs, argued that by trying to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, the UN was conceding to their demands to exclude women’s rights. This move, she noted, compromises the UN’s commitment to upholding human rights and gender equality.

As the situation unfolds, the exclusion of women from this crucial UN meeting in Doha could set a dangerous precedent, undermining efforts to protect and promote the rights of Afghan women and girls. The international community’s response will be critical in determining whether these rights are upheld or eroded further under Taliban rule.

Re-reported from the article originally published in msn.com.