Afghanistan Peace Campaign
A human rights organization said women in Afghanistan need more than repeated expressions of concern from the international community.
A human rights organization has criticized what it described as the international community’s repeated expressions of concern over the situation of women in Afghanistan, saying Afghan women need concrete action rather than statements of sympathy.
The Afghanistan Human Rights Defenders Committee said in a statement on Friday that Afghan women have grown tired of hearing international actors “express concern” while restrictions on their rights continue to expand.
The statement comes as women and girls in Afghanistan remain subject to sweeping restrictions on education, employment and public life. Since 2021, girls have been barred from secondary schools and universities, while women have faced growing limitations on work, travel and participation in public activities.
International organizations, including the United Nations, have repeatedly warned that the restrictions have created one of the world’s most severe women’s rights crises. Rights groups say the measures have deepened poverty, increased social isolation and limited economic opportunities for millions of Afghan women and their families.
Referring to recent events in the western province of Herat, the committee said the phrase “expression of concern” has become one of the most frequently repeated responses by the United Nations, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and other international institutions to developments affecting Afghan women.
The organization acknowledged that monitoring human rights violations, documenting abuses and raising concerns are important responsibilities of international bodies. However, it said such measures alone are insufficient to address the continuing deterioration of women’s rights in Afghanistan.
The committee argued that the moral and political responsibility of the United Nations, member states and international organizations extends beyond issuing statements and public condemnations.
It called on the international community to make greater use of legal, diplomatic and political mechanisms to support Afghan women and hold authorities accountable for actions that restrict their rights and freedoms.
The statement follows recent protests and public criticism over the detention of women in Herat, where reports of arrests linked to dress code enforcement triggered demonstrations and renewed international scrutiny of the situation facing women across Afghanistan.
The committee said Afghan women now need meaningful protection and sustained international support, warning that continued inaction risks further weakening fundamental rights and opportunities for women and girls throughout the country.