Zan News: The Union of Jurists of Afghanistan has expressed its regret and concern over the exclusion of women, civil society, and other activists from the third Doha meeting. Union of Jurists: Excluding Women from Doha Meeting is Against Human Rights and Strengthens Terrorism June 30, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Union of Jurists of Afghanistan has expressed its regret and concern over the exclusion of women, civil society, and other activists from the third Doha meeting. In a statement, the Union declared that the Taliban regularly commit crimes against humanity, and the UN's decision to exclude women from the Doha meeting to meet the Taliban's preconditions for participation is against the legitimate demands of Afghan men and women and all international human rights conventions. The statement reads: "Submitting to the illegitimate demands of this group means denying their crimes against Afghan citizens, especially women and members of civil society." The Union of Jurists also emphasized that if the United Nations and member states ignore international principles, this could strengthen terrorism. The Union believes that the inclusion of women in such dialogues not only makes comprehensive and sustainable solutions for the current conflicts in Afghanistan possible but also strengthens regional and global peace and security. It is worth noting that the third round of the meeting of representatives of countries on Afghanistan, hosted by the United Nations, is scheduled to take place today and tomorrow in Doha. According to reports, only the Taliban delegation from Afghanistan will attend the main meeting, with no invitations extended to women representatives or civil activists. This UN decision has faced widespread criticism, with human rights activists and protesting women calling for a boycott of the meeting. It is said that financial issues and the fight against drugs are among the topics of discussion at the Doha meeting, while human rights activists emphasize that the human rights and women's rights crisis should be prioritized.

Zan News: The European Union delegation in Afghanistan has stated that the EU provided 4.8 million euros in financial assistance to Afghan women entrepreneurs during the last year. Photo: EUinAfghanistan/X European Union: 4.8 Million Euros Provided in Aid to Afghan Women Entrepreneurs March 10, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The European Union delegation in Afghanistan has stated that the EU provided 4.8 million euros in financial assistance to Afghan women entrepreneurs during the last year. The EU raised this issue today, Monday (10 March), during the five-day campaign held in support of Afghan women. The EU delegation reported that it has trained 2,054 women through the "Mala" project in the field of small businesses. Additionally, the project has preserved approximately 14,500 jobs by 2025. The EU emphasized that it supports the economic empowerment of women. This comes as the Taliban, since seizing control of Afghanistan, have barred women from working in both governmental and non-governmental institutions.

Zan News: The Canada-UK Media Freedom Award was presented to Lutfullah Najfizadah, the CEO of Amu TV, on behalf of independent Afghan media. Canada-UK Media Freedom Award Presented to Independent Afghan Media September 28, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The Canada-UK Media Freedom Award was presented to Lutfullah Najfizadah, the CEO of Amu TV, on behalf of independent Afghan media. In a ceremony held on Friday (September 27) on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the award was presented to Najfizadah by Melanie Joly, the Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Lord Collins of Highbury, Deputy Speaker of the British House of Lords. High-ranking officials and intellectuals from other countries, including Jan Lipavský, Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Arnoldo André, Foreign Minister of Costa Rica, Maria Ressa, Nobel Prize laureate, and Jodie Ginsberg, Executive Director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, were present at the ceremony. It is worth noting that this award has been given since 2020 to those who defend freedom of expression and democracy. Last year, the Egyptian online newspaper "Mada Masr" received the award, but this is the first time the Canada-UK Media Freedom Award has been given to independent Afghan media. This comes as the Taliban have severely suppressed media and journalists in Afghanistan over the past three years. Recently, Reporters Without Borders announced that the Taliban had arrested and tortured 141 journalists in the country over the past three years. According to the information, during this period, Taliban courts have imprisoned 47 journalists.

Zan News: Amnesty International has welcomed the move by countries to hold the Taliban accountable for discrimination against Afghan women and girls, stating that the international community must pursue all available avenues, including legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice, to end the ongoing violations of human rights in Afghanistan. Photo: Getty Images, Los Angeles Times Amnesty International Welcomes Countries' Move to Hold Taliban Accountable for Discrimination Against Women September 28, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Amnesty International has welcomed the move by countries to hold the Taliban accountable for discrimination against Afghan women and girls, stating that the international community must pursue all available avenues, including legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice, to end the ongoing violations of human rights in Afghanistan. Agnes Callamard, the Secretary-General of Amnesty International, has stated that the Taliban have made the lives of Afghan women and girls intolerable, excluding them from all aspects of life and systematically depriving them of their rights. While welcoming the governments' move to hold the Taliban accountable under international law, she deemed this move a significant step towards achieving justice for violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Amnesty International also stated that the recent actions of countries should be complemented by other comprehensive efforts to address the wide range of past and ongoing crimes during the ongoing cycle of conflict in Afghanistan. Callamard added: "The world must stand in solidarity with the brave women and girls of Afghanistan by defending their rights and holding the Taliban regime accountable." Earlier, Canada, Germany, Australia, and the Netherlands had issued a joint statement warning that if the Taliban did not stop gender discrimination, they would sue the group for violating the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women at the International Court of Justice. More than 20 countries, including Spain, Sweden, and Ireland, have since supported this statement. Although Afghanistan has accepted this convention, the Taliban, who have not yet been officially recognized as the government of Afghanistan, have not adhered to these commitments. The foreign ministers of Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, and Canada have stated that even if the Taliban do not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, the decision of this court will have a deterrent effect on countries that want to normalize political relations with the Taliban. It is worth mentioning that the Taliban, after coming to power, have imposed severe restrictions on women and girls. Afghan women are currently deprived of education, work, and freedom of movement. However, the Taliban say that accusing the group of violating human rights and gender discrimination is "unjustified" and is "propaganda" falsely spread by some women against the group.

Zan News - Badghis: Local sources in Badghis province have reported the murder of a 28-year-old woman named "Naz Bibi" in Qala-e-Naw, the provincial capital. 28-year-old Woman Murdered in Badghis September 7, 2024 Zan News Zan News - Badghis: Local sources in Badghis province have reported the murder of a 28-year-old woman named "Naz Bibi" in Qala-e-Naw, the provincial capital. According to sources, the woman was suffocated and killed on Saturday (September 7) in the "Jar Haji Sakhi" area. So far, there is no accurate information available regarding the perpetrators of this murder or the motive behind it. Local Taliban officials in Badghis have not yet commented on this matter. This comes as cases of women being murdered in Afghanistan have increased in recent weeks. A few days ago, a man in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar beheaded his wife.

Zan News: Kamala Harris' campaign, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming U.S. elections, has announced that Nasreen Barakzai, an Afghan-American lawyer, has been appointed as an advisor on issues related to Muslim and Arab communities in America. Social Media Afghan-American Woman Appointed as Advisor to Kamala Harris' Campaign August 18, 2024 Zan News Zan News: Kamala Harris' campaign, the Democratic candidate in the upcoming U.S. elections, has announced that Nasreen Barakzai, an Afghan-American lawyer, has been appointed as an advisor on issues related to Muslim and Arab communities in America. According to NBC News, Nasreen Barakzai served as a political advisor on Muslim affairs, Arab issues, the Gaza conflict, reproductive rights, voting, and democracy in Vice President Kamala Harris' office from 2021 until July of this year. The Harris campaign officials emphasized that Barakzai will take on a similar role in Harris' campaign. This appointment comes at a time when American Muslims, particularly Arabs, are dissatisfied with the Democratic Party and Kamala Harris due to President Joe Biden's policies on the Gaza conflict and his strong support for Israel. These communities believe that Kamala Harris will continue Biden's policies regarding Gaza and Israel. Barakzai's primary role in the campaign will be to engage with and garner support from Muslim and Arab communities in the U.S. for Kamala Harris. In a statement, Nasreen Barakzai expressed her pleasure with the appointment, saying, "I am honored to continue my work with the Vice President and provide counsel on a wide range of important issues in this election, from democracy and reproductive rights to Muslim and Arab affairs." Nasreen Barakzai was born in 1979 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. During the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, she and her family migrated to Pakistan. After three years in Pakistan, they moved to the U.S. in 1985, and she graduated from Berkeley Law School in 2005. Before joining the U.S. Vice President's office, she worked as a legal expert and national security attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ). This Afghan-American lawyer also has experience teaching at Stanford Law School and working with major law firms in the U.S.

Zan News: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that challenges against women employees in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increased. Photo: UNOCHA OCHA: Challenges for Women Employees in NGOs Have Increased December 31, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said that challenges against women employees in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have increased. According to a recent survey released by this agency on Tuesday (December 31), many women employees are no longer able to work from offices or in the field. The survey shows that women were able to travel to service areas earlier this year, but now this opportunity has been taken away from them. OCHA also emphasized that there have been no major changes in the activities of health organizations. According to this report, in September, 64% of women had the ability to travel for humanitarian assistance, but this figure has now decreased to 52%. This agency has identified the Taliban's law of "Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice" as one of the main factors hindering women's activities. According to this survey, 43% of aid organizations have reported that some women employees were forced to leave their jobs due to the Taliban's restrictive orders. Meanwhile, the Taliban's Ministry of Economy has recently, according to the leader's order, warned international organizations again to refrain from hiring women and prevent their presence in offices.

Zan News: The "Women’s Movement Towards Freedom" has condemned the closure of immigration cases to the United States for vulnerable individuals, calling it a violation of America’s human rights commitments. Sent to Zan TV Women’s Movement Towards Freedom: Closure of Immigration Cases Violates U.S. Human Rights Commitments February 1, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The "Women’s Movement Towards Freedom" has condemned the closure of immigration cases to the United States for vulnerable individuals, calling it a violation of America’s human rights commitments. In a statement, the movement emphasized that "thousands of women activists, journalists, human rights defenders, employees of international organizations, and other vulnerable groups are in a dangerous and unbearable situation. They cannot live in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, nor do they have access to basic rights in neighboring countries." According to the movement, the United States, which portrays itself as a defender of human rights and freedom, has a moral and political responsibility to support these individuals. However, the closure of immigration cases signifies turning their backs on thousands of people in urgent need of assistance. The statement warned that this decision is a clear violation of human rights principles and international conventions on refugees and will have irreversible consequences for the victims. The "Women’s Movement Towards Freedom" has called on the U.S. government and its allies to resume and expedite the process of accepting vulnerable migrants, provide practical and immediate solutions for their resettlement and support, adhere to their international commitments, and open doors to save these individuals instead of closing them. The movement has also urged human rights organizations, international institutions, and democratic governments to take immediate and responsible actions to protect the lives and dignity of these individuals.

Zan News: The Azadagan Movement in Exile, on the occasion of International Women’s Solidarity Day, issued a statement describing the situation of women in Afghanistan as catastrophic, emphasizing that the Taliban’s misogynistic policies not only violate women’s rights but also threaten the future of an entire nation. Sent to Zan TV Azadagan Movement in Exile: The Taliban’s Suppression of Women is the Destruction of a Nation’s Future March 6, 2025 Zan News Zan News: The Azadagan Movement in Exile, on the occasion of International Women’s Solidarity Day, issued a statement describing the situation of women in Afghanistan as catastrophic, emphasizing that the Taliban’s misogynistic policies not only violate women’s rights but also threaten the future of an entire nation. The statement, released on Thursday, March 6, asserts that Afghan women have been subjected to systematic oppression by the Taliban for the past three years. The movement considers the Taliban’s actions—including the closure of schools and universities for girls, the ban on women’s employment, their exclusion from social and political spheres, and the imposition of medieval laws—as part of the group’s "crimes" against Afghan women. The Azadagan Movement in Exile reaffirmed that Afghan women’s struggle for equality, freedom, and justice continues despite widespread repression. The statement reads: “The suppression of women is not only an attack on half of society but also the destruction of a nation’s future.” The movement called on all progressive forces, human rights organizations, and freedom movements to increase their support for Afghan women’s struggles and to pressure their governments into adopting firm policies against the Taliban’s crimes.

Zan News: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it has successfully treated 100,000 children suffering from "acute malnutrition" in Afghanistan. Photo: UNICEF WHO Treats 100,000 Children Suffering from Acute Malnutrition in Afghanistan October 13, 2024 Zan News Zan News: The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that it has successfully treated 100,000 children suffering from "acute malnutrition" in Afghanistan. In a message on X today, Sunday (October 13), the organization stated that the treatment of malnourished patients in Afghanistan was carried out in cooperation with the European Union's Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Aid. It's worth noting that the WHO previously announced that 2.9 million children under five years old in Afghanistan were facing malnutrition, with 850,000 of them suffering from acute malnutrition. This organization had warned that food insecurity in the country is spreading as a crisis. Meanwhile, the United Nations has previously stated that the UN's aid agencies are facing a severe shortage of funds for providing assistance in Afghanistan. The UN has cited the violation of human rights, especially women's rights, under Taliban rule as the main reason for the decrease in funding