New UN Report: Women Journalists in Afghanistan Face Severe Restrictions

Presented by António Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, during a Security Council meeting on Friday (June 21), the report reveals that women journalists in Afghanistan encounter severe limitations.

According to the report, fundamental rights and freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan remain severely restricted. At the beginning of the new school year, girls above the sixth grade continued to face prohibitions and were unable to attend school this year.

The report also mentions that during the inauguration ceremony of the new school year in Afghanistan, the Taliban's Ministry of Education instructed female journalists not to participate in media coverage of the event citing "lack of a suitable place."

The report underscores severe restrictions on basic freedoms, including access to information and freedom of movement for women journalists in Afghanistan.

As per the report, journalists and media personnel are arbitrarily detained, and the broadcasts of two television networks have been suspended.

Additionally, the report points to ongoing threats by the Taliban against officials and former Afghan military personnel, including arbitrary detention, torture, mistreatment, and executions.

The report notes that in February of this year, the Taliban publicly executed three individuals through the decisions of three Taliban courts, approved by the group's leadership.

This report comes ahead of the third UN session on Afghanistan scheduled to take place in Doha, Qatar's capital, in two weeks.

It has been reported that Afghan women representatives and civil society have not been invited to this session.