The Second Major Meeting of Afghan Women in Madrid: Spain Emphasizes to Accountability the Taliban

José Manuel Albares Bueno, Spain's Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated during the meeting on Friday (December 13), which was organized by the "Women for Afghanistan" organization and attended by dozens of Afghan women, including prominent political figures, women’s rights activists, and special representatives from various countries such as the U.S., Australia, and other Western nations, that Spain supports all international efforts to hold the Taliban accountable.

In a statement, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Spain hosted the meeting in support of Afghan women and girls. According to the statement, more than 50 political figures and women’s rights activists from Afghanistan participated in the event. The Ministry also emphasized Spain’s commitment to ending impunity for human rights violators and efforts accountability for crimes committed in Afghanistan.

Fawzia Koofi, a former Member of Parliament and head of the "Women for Afghanistan" organization, strongly criticized the situation of women under Taliban rule in her speech at the meeting. She stated, "The Taliban have spared no restriction on women and continue to expand their prohibitions daily. The Taliban have launched a full-scale war against women, the meaning of which remains unclear to many."

Koofi also highlighted widespread human rights violations by the Taliban and said, "Under Taliban rule, not only are women’s rights catastrophic, but ethnic groups' rights are also visibly being violated." She emphasized the critical role of women in preserving democratic values and added, "Afghan women are at the forefront of safeguarding these values. They are not merely resisting; they are actively seeking change."

She stressed that Afghan women, despite the harsh conditions, are not surrendering or complaining but are searching for practical solutions and aiming to take leadership roles. Koofi also called for practical action from the international community and said, "Any engagement with the Taliban must be based on women's rights. We are willing to engage in dialogue with the Taliban. They claim that women are unwilling to engage, but the truth is that it is the Taliban who refuse to establish communication."

Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights, pointed out the contradiction between the Taliban's words and actions regarding women’s rights. She stated, "During meetings with the Taliban, countries raise issues concerning women, but the Taliban merely take notes and then disregard them." Amiri also stressed the need to establish support mechanisms for Afghan women and called on regional countries to take a more active role in this regard.

She noted that currently, there is no specific structure to support Afghan women, and the international community must take effective measures in this area. Amiri also urged Afghan women to respect each other and support one another despite differences in opinion.

This comes as the Taliban have imposed severe restrictions on the rights and freedoms of women and girls since taking power on August 15, 2021. Over the past three years, women and human rights activists have made extensive efforts to reclaim their lost rights and have called on the international community to recognize gender apartheid in Afghanistan.

It is worth mentioning that this meeting followed the first major meeting of Afghan women held in Albania in September.