Human Rights Watch: Doha Meeting an Opportunity for The International Community to Stand with Afghan Women

The organization said in a report released on Tuesday, June 11, that in addition to other restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls, it has been 1,000 days since the Taliban banned girls above grade 6 from attending school in Afghanistan.

Andrew Stroehlein, the author of the report, says: "At the end of June, UN experts and representatives on Afghanistan will gather in Doha to discuss the international community's approach to the country."

He adds: "This is an opportunity to stand with Afghan women and avoid doing anything that might downplay the serious human rights crisis or legitimize the Taliban regime."

Human Rights Watch emphasizes that the international community must hold the Taliban accountable for their "crimes" against women and girls.

The organization says in its report: "The international community should not invite them 'Taliban' to UN meetings. No one should lift sanctions against the Taliban regime."

Human Rights Watch warns of the danger of normalizing relations with the Taliban, calling this approach more harmful than any other action.

According to the organization, the women's rights crisis in Afghanistan, which has been described by international experts as "gender apartheid," is the most serious crisis of its kind in the world.

It is worth noting that at the recent Turkey meeting with the participation of representatives of political parties, civil activists, and human rights activists in Afghanistan, the international community was called upon to pay serious attention to the demands of the people of this country at the third Doha meeting.

Participants in the meeting criticized the unilateral approach towards the Taliban in the Doha meetings, emphasizing that the Afghan people are absent as the main party in these talks.

This comes as Rina Amiri, the US special representative for Afghan women's affairs, also recently emphasized the meaningful participation of women and civil society in this country in the third Doha meeting.