Afghanistan mission calls for documentation of Taliban crackdown on women

Afghanistan’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva has called for participation in the preparation of the fourth periodic report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women to provide documentation on the Taliban’s repression of women.

The delegation called on all Afghan women, human rights defenders, national and international civil society and women’s rights organizations, as well as international non-governmental organizations to provide information, documentation and evidence in this regard.

Mohibullah Taib, a human rights official at Afghanistan’s permanent mission to the United Nations Human Rights Council, told RFE/RL on Wednesday that the delegation hopes to gain an accurate and comprehensive understanding of the current situation in Afghanistan and its adverse impact on women and the country, so as to provide effective solutions to improve the situation.

“Let us prepare a report that is not only for the permanent representation of Afghanistan, but also for those who hold rights, such as women and girls, organizations active in the field of human rights and women’s rights. I hope that on September 10, a large number of compatriots who care about human rights, especially the situation of women and girls, will join this process.

According to a statement by Afghanistan’s permanent representative to the UN Human Rights Council, the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan will be reviewed at the session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which is scheduled to be held in February 2025.

It was further stated that subscribers can submit their questions, information or documents through the virtual meeting to be held by the agency in August or send an email to the agency’s address.

Afghan women: We welcome this plan

Women’s rights activist Tanam Saeedi welcomed the call and said that given the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan under the Taliban and the growing lack of women’s rights, it is necessary to create conditions to address this issue. He told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:

“We welcome and absolutely consider it our responsibility to collaborate as necessary with the committee in this area and to be able to share with them the ideas, evidence and documents that we have access to on a daily basis.”

Last year, the Taliban government deprived women and girls of many social, cultural and political rights, including the right to receive education beyond grade 6, higher education, and to work in many government offices and all non-governmental organizations. In addition, they were denied the right to travel long distances without a Hijri calendar, and were denied access to recreation centers, gyms and women’s bathrooms.

However, the Taliban government has always claimed that the rights of Afghan women are protected within the framework of Islamic law. But nearly a month ago, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, submitted a report on women’s rights and human rights in Afghanistan to the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council, in which he called Afghanistan shocking and accused the Taliban of violating the rights of women and girls and insulting their personal dignity.