Sima Bahous: Afghan Women’s Rights Should Not Be Traded for Possible Improvements

She emphasized: “We urge the Security Council and key international actors to learn from past experiences that led to the exclusion of women. We should not trade women’s rights or their representation for possible improvements in combating drugs or preventing terrorism in Afghanistan.”

Bahous added that this approach failed in the 1990s and will fail again. She called the Taliban’s law on promoting virtue and preventing vice “cruel” and said that living under such conditions is incomprehensible.

According to her, currently, 90% of Afghan women and girls are struggling with psychological issues, and 8% know someone who has attempted suicide.

Bahous highlighted that the Taliban’s severe restrictions have even separated Afghan women from women outside their families.

According to this UN official, over the past three years, the Taliban have severely suppressed women’s protests. In 2021, 88% of their protests were held outdoors, whereas now 94% of these protests are held online.

The Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations called on the international community to stop “normalizing discriminatory practices” with the Taliban and instead increase investment and support for civil society organizations led by women in the country.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Ambassador of the United States to the United Nations, at the UN Security Council meeting, criticized the Taliban’s approach towards Afghan citizens, especially women, and said that any action that would recognize this group should be avoided.