UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Human Rights Council’s 56th session is underway, focusing on Afghanistan’s human rights situation. A pivotal report by Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, highlights extensive human rights violations, with particular emphasis on the plight of Afghan women under the Taliban regime.
Bennett’s 21-page report condemns the Taliban for severely restricting women’s rights, including access to education, employment, and freedom of movement. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghan women have faced increasing hardships, despite the group’s assurances that women’s rights under Sharia law would be protected.
These restrictions have erased decades of progress towards gender equality. Women are barred from returning to many jobs and universities, forced to abandon their studies, and relegated to segregated and limited educational settings. Employment opportunities for women have also dwindled, with numerous sectors entirely closed off to them. Additionally, restrictions on movement have confined women to their homes, severely limiting their ability to participate in public life and access basic services.
The international community is intensifying calls for action to safeguard Afghan women’s rights, urging concrete steps to ensure their protection and restore their fundamental freedoms. The UN Human Rights Council’s efforts reflect a global commitment to holding the Taliban accountable and advocating for the restoration of basic rights for all Afghans, especially women and girls.
