Chairman Says US House Committee ‘Will Do All It Can’ for Afghan Women

The chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, US Representative Michael McCaul, speaking at a discussion on Afghanistan, said the committee will do all in its power to assist Afghan women and girls.

Speaking at the “Roundtable on Crisis Facing Afghan Women and Girls,” McCaul said that Since the Islamic Emirate came to power in Afghanistan, the current Afghan government has issued more than 30 edicts aimed at severely limiting women’s freedoms.

“This committee will do everything in its power to help Afghan women and girls. And to hold the Taliban accountable for its human rights abuses,” McCaul noted.

However, the Islamic Emirate said that the issue of women’s rights is the country’s internal issue, and that the current government is trying to find a solution to it in accordance with Islamic principles.

“The issues they raised are related to the people of Afghanistan and are the internal issue of the Afghan people and the country of Afghanistan. This has nothing to do with them and is an interference in other’s affairs,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman.

According to some political analysts, the continued restriction on women’s rights will exacerbate tensions between Kabul and the international community.

“They should bring meaningful reforms regarding women’s work and education so that the issue of Afghanistan’s recognition will be resolved, and will lead to the stability and unity of the nation,” said Najibullah Jami, a political analyst.

“The concerns of regional and beyond-region countries regarding women’s rights to work and education are political. The position of women’s education and their right to work is clear in Sharia law,” said Mohammad Zalmay Afghanyar, a political analyst.

At the moment, women are not allowed to enroll in universities, nor are they allowed to work for non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Girls above sixth grade are also prohibited from attending school.