UN Communications Chief Says Afghan Women Face Widespread Restrictions and Mental Health Crisis
Melissa Fleming, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, has said that women and girls in Afghanistan, five years after the Taliban took power, continue to face sweeping restrictions and what she described as “hidden wounds.” She warned that the crisis facing women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan is unprecedented and must not be forgotten.
In a post on X on Monday, 26 August, Fleming wrote that seven out of 10 women in Afghanistan describe their mental health as “bad” or “very bad.” Her remarks come as Taliban restrictions on women’s education, work and movement continue.
Afghanistan under Taliban rule is the only country in the world where girls and women remain deprived of a large share of their basic rights, including education and work. In recent years, these restrictions have drawn widespread criticism from international human rights groups and United Nations officials.
Previously, John Sopko, the former US special inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction, said life for women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule had turned into “hell.” Criticising the performance of the international community and the current US government, he said not enough had been done to address the deterioration in the situation of Afghan women.
Melissa Fleming heads the UN Department of Global Communications, which reflects the institution’s messages and positions at the international level. Women’s rights in Afghanistan have been one of the constant themes of UN reports and warnings since the Taliban returned to power.
