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Zan News: Richard Bennett, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Reporter on Afghanistan, said on the second day of the Council’s session held yesterday that the people of Afghanistan deserve support and should not be forgotten by the world. Photo: flickr Richard Bennett: The People of Afghanistan Deserve Support and Should Not Be Forgotten March 1, 2025 Zan News Zan News: Richard Bennett, the United Nations Human Rights Council’s Special Reporter on Afghanistan, said on the second day of the Council’s session held yesterday that the people of Afghanistan deserve support and should not be forgotten by the world. He emphasized the necessity of paying attention to the current situation in Afghanistan, noting that human rights violations and the oppression of women by the Taliban have significant repercussions for this group. Bennett stated that he receives messages every week about the Taliban’s mistreatment and that countries have a duty to work together to secure human rights in Afghanistan. He added, "No single action can be effective on its own. That’s why we must adopt a comprehensive approach. Various components are needed to achieve human rights goals." According to Bennett, until the human rights situation in Afghanistan improves, normalizing relations with the Taliban will not be possible. He urged UN member states to act in a coordinated manner against the Taliban. This comes as, since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, women and girls have faced severe restrictions in education, work, and social participation. These policies have not only violated human rights but also exacerbated deep social and economic crises in the country.

Zan News: Sahra Mani, a prominent Afghan filmmaker, has received the Majority Feminist Foundation's Global Women's Rights Award in the United States for her portrayal of the resistance of Afghan women and girls against the Taliban in her documentary "Bread and Red Roses." Sahra Mani, Afghan Filmmaker, Receives Global Women's Rights Award May 23, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Sahra Mani, a prominent Afghan filmmaker, has received the Majority Feminist Foundation's Global Women's Rights Award in the United States for her portrayal of the resistance of Afghan women and girls against the Taliban in her documentary "Bread and Red Roses." The Majority Feminist Foundation said in a statement that it hosted its 16th annual Women's Rights Awards ceremony in Los Angeles, USA, last week. According to the statement, the Moyes Leno Prize for Global Women's Rights was awarded to Ms. Mani and the "Bread and Red Roses" documentary team. Jay Leno, a former famous TV host in the United States and his wife Moyes, a member of the foundation's board of directors, and Dr. Sima Samar, former chairman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, presented the award to Ms. Mani. Ms. Mani wrote on her X account that her goal in making the documentary was to convey the struggles of Afghan women to future generations. She also expressed hope that she could reflect the voices of Afghan women and play a role in bringing about change in the country. "Bread and Red Roses" is an inside look at the resistance of Afghan women against the Taliban in Kabul. The film tells the stories of three Afghan women and shows how their lives have changed after the Taliban's takeover and how they courageously stand up to "gender apartheid." "Bread and Red Roses" was screened at the 76th Cannes International Film Festival in 2023. In addition to Ms. Mani, Caroline Maloney, a former US Congresswoman, and Dr. Austin Deanard, a women's health expert, also received awards from the Majority Feminist Foundation. The foundation's Global Women's Rights Award is given annually to a select number of individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of women's and girls' rights and to raising awareness of the injustices that women face because of their gender.

Zan News: While the Taliban has deprived girls of their right to education since taking control of Afghanistan, officials in Pakistan have announced the hosting of a global conference on girls' education in Islamic societies. Photo: Elise Blanchard/CARE Global Conference on Girls' Education in Islamic Societies Will Held in Pakistan January 9, 2025 Zan News Zan News: While the Taliban has deprived girls of their right to education since taking control of Afghanistan, officials in Pakistan have announced the hosting of a global conference on girls' education in Islamic societies. According to a report on Thursday (January 9) from Express Tribune, the conference will be held next week in Pakistan, with Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and women’s rights activist, as one of the keynote speakers. This will be Malala Yousafzai’s third visit to Pakistan since the assassination attempt on her life in 2012. She was targeted by gunmen from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) while returning home from school in the Swat Valley in northwestern Pakistan. A bullet struck Malala in the head, and she was transferred to the UK for treatment. The Ministry of Education of Pakistan, which is hosting the conference, has stated that the main goal of the international gathering is to discuss the challenges and opportunities in advancing girls' education in Muslim societies. According to report, more than 150 people, including ambassadors, scholars, academics from 44 Muslim countries, and representatives of global organizations, will attend the conference. One of the key topics will be the ban on girls' education imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Pakistani officials have stated that they have invited representatives of the Taliban to attend the conference, but it remains unclear whether they will participate. It is noteworthy that relations between Islamabad and the Taliban have become strained in recent months due to the presence of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters in Afghanistan.

Photo: RTA As a result of two separate traffic incidents in Logar province, two women and a child lost their lives, and twelve others were injured. According to the Taliban, one of the incidents took place in the Kotal-e-Tirah area on the Logar-Paktia highway, resulting in the deaths of two women and a child, while eight others were injured. In another incident that occurred in the Mohammad Agha district of this province, four more people were injured. It is worth mentioning that hundreds of citizens lose their lives every year in Afghanistan due to traffic accidents. Driver negligence, poor road conditions, and the lack of traffic signs are considered the main causes of these incidents.

Photo: Anadolu Agency via Getty Images Andrew Saberton, the Executive Deputy Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), stated following his recent visit to Afghanistan that the suspension of US financial aid has worsened the humanitarian crisis in the country. During a press conference yesterday, Saberton emphasized that the $100 million aid from the United States to this organization was halted simultaneously with the expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. According to him, this move will deprive 6.3 million people, mostly women, of life-saving care provided by the United Nations Population Fund. He warned that refugees returning from neighboring countries might face serious threats inside Afghanistan. The Executive Deputy Director of UNFPA also added that the deprivation of education for girls has paved the way for an increase in forced and early marriages. Saberton specified that the main victims of these aid cuts are women and girls who need health and medical services. Previously, Tom Fletcher, the UN Deputy Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the Head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), had also visited Afghanistan and warned about the humanitarian crisis and the devastating impact of the aid cuts.

Social Media The Taliban's Supreme Court announced that five people, including a woman, were flogged in Bagram district of Parwan province on charges of what has been described as "adultery." According to a statement released on Thursday (May 15), these individuals were sentenced by the Primary Court of Bagram District to two to three years of imprisonment and 39 lashes. This sentence was carried out in public after being confirmed by the Taliban's Supreme Court. The statement mentioned that the flogging was carried out in the presence of local Taliban officials and local residents. In the announcement, the head of the Taliban's Appeals Court emphasized that these sentences are implemented to prevent misinformation and to raise public awareness about Islamic Sharia law. This comes as the Taliban's desert courts continue to operate after the group's return to power in Afghanistan, and so far, more than a thousand people have been flogged.