ISLAMABAD: A United Nations expert has warned that women and girls in Afghanistan are facing “the most serious assault on gender equality of our time” under Taliban rule.
Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, told the UN General Assembly in his report that the Taliban has built an “institutionalized system of gender persecution.” He said urgent and united international action is needed to stop human rights violations instead of accepting the Taliban’s rule as normal.
Bennett said the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s education and jobs, including bans on women working for the UN and aid agencies, have made the humanitarian crisis even worse. He said cuts in international funding are leaving Afghans “without the last lines of protection and support.”
The UN expert also raised concern over an increase in public punishments, disappearances, and the shrinking space for media and civil society. He said the Taliban’s mistreatment of ethnic and religious minorities is fueling tensions across the country.
Bennett warned that the Taliban’s harsh policies could radicalize a new generation living under oppression and poverty. “What is happening in Afghanistan will not be contained within its borders,” he cautioned.
The expert also condemned the forced return of Afghan refugees from neighboring and European countries, urging respect for international law.
Despite the grim situation, Bennett said Afghanistan is “not a lost cause” and called for continued accountability and support for Afghan-led human rights efforts.
