European Union and Uzbekistan Express Concern over the Situation of Women in Afghanistan

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The European Union and Uzbekistan have expressed concern over the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan during their recent Cooperation Council meeting in Luxembourg.

At the 18th meeting of the EU–Uzbekistan Cooperation Council, held on 21 October in Luxembourg, both sides stressed the need to strengthen political and economic cooperation and described “the humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly the conditions of women and girls,” as alarming.

According to the official statement of the Council of the European Union, the two parties emphasised the importance of regional stability, countering terrorism, and upholding human rights. The European Union also commended Uzbekistan’s efforts in implementing human rights reforms, including combating forced labour and promoting gender equality.

These concerns come as Afghan women have been systematically deprived of education, employment, and public participation since the Taliban’s return to power. Over the past four years, millions of Afghan women and girls have faced severe restrictions, enforced exclusion, and structural oppression; a situation that human rights organisations have described as a form of “gender apartheid.”