Former UN Official Warns of Afghan Women’s Rights Crisis at Shanghai Cooperation Organization Forum
Roza Otunbayeva, former head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), described the situation of women in Afghanistan as a glaring example of a human rights crisis in the region during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Women’s Assembly in Bishkek. She highlighted the extensive restrictions imposed on women and girls, emphasizing how a return to rigid social structures can swiftly impact the lives of half the population.
Otunbayeva pointed out that currently girls in Afghanistan are not allowed to continue education beyond the sixth grade, and women are barred from working in many fields, visiting parks and gyms, and traveling without a male companion. She described these restrictions as a clear regression in fundamental women’s rights.
The former UNAMA chief urged Member States of the SCO not to remain indifferent to the plight of Afghan women and to maintain practical solidarity with them. She stated that supporting education, the right to work, and social participation of Afghan women must hold a prominent place on the regional and international cooperation agendas.
These remarks come as the Taliban administration continues to claim that women’s rights in Afghanistan are being upheld. However, the ongoing restrictions on women’s education and social presence have sparked widespread concern and criticism regionally and globally, making this issue one of the most contentious topics regarding Afghanistan in international forums.
