Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The UN Special Representative for Women in Afghanistan stressed on March 8th that the fight for Afghan women’s rights is a global struggle. Alison Davidian highlighted the urgent need for the international community to address the shrinking space for Afghan women and girls amidst the ongoing challenges of war, poverty, and isolation.
The UN office in Afghanistan released a statement on March 8th, International Women’s Day, calling once again for the lifting of restrictions on women. The office warned that without the removal of these restrictions, Afghanistan risks plunging deeper into poverty and isolation. Citing Roza Otunbayeva, head of UNAMA, the statement stressed the need to “double down on investment in Afghan women.” Otunbayeva noted that the current situation in Afghanistan is disastrously and deliberately harming Afghan women and girls, obstructing the nation’s path to lasting peace and prosperity.
Otunbayeva also expressed concern over the fear of arbitrary detentions by the Taliban, targeting women and girls under the guise of enforcing their dress codes, pushing them further into isolation. The UN stated that the Taliban’s restrictions on Afghan women violate Afghanistan’s international human rights commitments.
According to the United Nations, more than 12 million women in Afghanistan need humanitarian aid this year. March 8th arrives amidst the Taliban’s rule over the past two and a half years, during which dozens of decrees have stripped women of many of their rights.
The Taliban have barred women and girls from attending universities and schools beyond the sixth grade and imposed broad restrictions on their employment, movement, and travel, severely limiting their public presence.
Furthermore, Afghan women have periodically protested in open and closed spaces against the Taliban’s policies, leading to the arrest of some by the group.
A significant number of organizations, experts, and human rights activists believe that the Taliban’s policies against Afghan women amount to “gender apartheid” and are advocating for its formal recognition.