EU and UN Emphasize Support for Afghan Women’s Rights Amid Ongoing Restrictions
On the International Day of Solidarity with Women, several international officials and UN-affiliated organizations highlighted the crucial role of Afghan women in society and stressed the continued support for their rights and empowerment. This support has gained even greater significance amid the extensive restrictions imposed on women’s lives and work in Afghanistan.
Veronika Buskovic Pohar, the European Union Charge d’Affaires in Kabul, described women’s role in shaping Afghanistan’s future as “vital” and stated that women’s economic empowerment is not only a legal issue but also key to the country’s economic sustainability and resilience. According to her, recognizing women’s contributions must be reflected in practice as well.
Richard Lindzi, the UK Special Envoy for Afghanistan, also declared that his country stands alongside Afghan women and girls. He emphasized that women’s rights are fundamentally important for families, society, and Afghanistan’s future, adding that the UK is committed to ending violence against women and placing them at the center of its foreign policy.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) praised the role of women in food production and strengthening family foundations, stating that women’s progress equates to strengthening all of Afghanistan. The organization called women the main pillars of food security in many parts of the country.
The United Nations Women’s agency in Afghanistan, citing the broad challenges faced by women, especially female heads of households, stressed that this situation should not be normalized. The agency added that humanitarian support for women’s access to food and basic needs can pave the way for change.
These statements come as the Taliban administration has imposed extensive restrictions on women’s education, work, and social presence for over four years, drawing continuous international criticism. Despite these criticisms, the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has asserted that women’s rights are part of the core values of Islam and that it strives to uphold them—an assertion made while women remain practically deprived of many of their fundamental rights.
