Foreign ministers of 12 countries call for lifting restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan

Foreign ministers of 12 countries in a meeting Tuesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York called for lifting restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan.

The meeting titled “Addressing systematic gender-based discrimination against women and girls in Afghanistan” was co-hosted by Albania, Belgium, Cabo Verde, Costa Rica, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Guatemala, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta and Spain.

In a joint declaration, the ministers said that the ban on Afghan women working for UN and NGOs “severely impacts the effective delivery of life-saving humanitarian assistance and basic services, putting at risk the lives of millions of Afghans, especially women-led households.”

“The Taliban’s (IEA) measures to exclude women from the Afghan society are unparalleled worldwide and may amount to gender persecution and a crime against humanity. We therefore urge the Taliban (IEA) to lift these restrictions immediately and to safeguard humanitarian principles,” the statement said.

“We urge the Taliban (IEA) to safeguard the rights of all Afghans, to allow women and girls free and equal access to public life and fundamental rights and freedoms, including education and work, and restore civic space, allowing NGOs, civil society organisations, human rights defenders, journalists, and media workers to operate freely,” the statement said.

The ministers also called for an “inclusive and representative political process with the full participation of all Afghans, including women and girls, and persons belonging to ethnic and religious groups and minorities, is required to ensure sustainable peace, stability and prosperity in Afghanistan.”

This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said it is committed to ensuring women and girls’ rights to education and work according to the Sharia law.