Afghanistan Peace CampaignChile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg, and Mexico are the six countries that initiated this process, which has since been joined by others.
The UK Minister for Women and Equalities stated in the country’s parliament that Britain is seriously concerned about the situation of women’s and girls’ rights in Afghanistan.
Anneliese Dodds, the UK Minister for Women and Equalities, said: “We are deeply concerned by the appalling erosion of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, and we are seeking to use every avenue to exert pressure. I remind the House that on 9 January I announced that the UK had formally joined the list of countries pledging political support to the initiative to refer Afghanistan to the International Court of Justice for violations of the convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women.”
Hadiya, a student, told TOLOnews: “The demand of all Afghan women in these circumstances is to be able to study and work because it is their fundamental right to access education and employment.”
Alamtaba Rasooli, a women’s rights activist, commented on the restrictions on women in Afghanistan: “The Islamic Emirate’s government is obligated to lift these restrictions and deprivations, and the United Nations is also responsible for taking practical steps in this regard.”
The UK’s move to join this initiative comes a day after the Islamic Emirate reacted to a Human Rights Watch report on Afghanistan, stating that no actions have been taken against anyone’s rights in the country.
Salim Paigir, a political analyst, emphasized the importance of engagement with Afghanistan’s caretaker government. He stated: “Pressure is not effective. It would be better to engage, and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan should also accept the legitimate demands of the Afghan people and the international community.”
This comes after Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), said that six countries had requested he investigate crimes committed against Afghan women under the renewed rule of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan.
Chile, Costa Rica, Spain, France, Luxembourg, and Mexico are the six countries that initiated this process, which has since been joined by others.