Afghanistan Peace CampaignMeanwhile, some women once again call on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to provide them with opportunities for education and work.
The UN Women warns that the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan has become increasingly unbearable, and the risk of their complete removal from public life is serious.
The UN Women stated: “Four years after Taliban fighters retook the capital Kabul on 15 August 2021, gender equality agency UN Women is warning that the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is increasingly untenable.”
At the same time, concerns are not limited only to educational and employment deprivation.
The UN has reported that in May, dozens of its female staff members in Afghanistan were explicitly threatened with death due to their cooperation with international organizations.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said: “Based on monitoring body, UN Missions Human Rights Service, the update also notes that in May, dozens of women working for the United Nations were subject to explicit death threats from unidentified individuals in relation to their work with the UN mission and other UN agencies, funds and programs. This required us to implement interim measures to protect the safety of our colleagues.”
Meanwhile, some women once again call on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to provide them with opportunities for education and work.
Masouda Hematzai, a mother of four who worked in a government institution under the Republic, has now, four years after the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, replaced her office desk with a small corner of her home, making handmade wall art as her only source of income.
She said: “I was working as an instructor in the training department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. After the Islamic Emirate came to power, I lost my job. As the head of my household with three sons and one daughter, it was hard for me to stay unemployed and homebound.”
On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate’s rule, women’s rights activists say Afghan women need educational and job opportunities, and that “silence” in the face of this trend means accepting the elimination of half of society.
Mumtaz Yousufzai, a women’s rights activist, said: “My request, as a woman and a human being, from the Islamic Emirate is to take more measures in the field of women’s work and rights. Four years is a very long time we have endured. During this period, many matters have improved, but in terms of women’s rights, no concrete action or proposal has been considered.”
Tafsir Siahpoosh, another women’s rights activist, added: “Our request from the Islamic Emirate is to pay attention to women’s demands, because we witness increasing restrictions against women every day. Our request from the international community is also to respond to women’s voices and listen to them.”
This comes as earlier, the Executive Director of UN Women, as well as the representatives of the UK and France, had criticized the continuation of restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan during a UN Security Council meeting.