Marking International Women’s Day, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said Tuesday it is committed to addressing the plight of women in the country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on the occasion of women’s day, March 8, and said that Afghan women had suffered the most during the years of war in the country.

“The long war in Afghanistan has taken a heavy toll on women. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is committed to addressing the problems of Afghan women,” the ministry said in a statement.

Following its takeover of Kabul in August, the Islamic Emirate pledged to respect the rights of women and girls in accordance with Islamic law, and announced a “general amnesty” for all former government employees.

But human rights defenders fear that women and girls may be barred from work and education, as during the previous rule of the Islamic Emirate.

Coinciding with International Women’s Day, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Amnesty International both expressed concern about the plight of women in Afghanistan.

UNAMA said in a statement on Tuesday that the United Nations stands with Afghan women and girls facing the consequences of a series of crises with “severe gender inequality and discrimination”.

According to UNAMA, in addition to the drought and crumbling economy that has plunged millions of Afghans into debt and poverty, women have been severely affected by recent violence and conflict.

“What we are witnessing today in Afghanistan is a catastrophic crisis. Everyone in the country is affected by the current crisis, but the situation of women and girls is worrying because their rights and access to opportunities are increasingly being challenged,” said Deborah Lyons, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

UNAMA says the full and equal participation of Afghan women and girls in all areas of Afghanistan is vital to the country’s future, and that depriving women of their rights to freedom of movement, sightseeing, work, participation in social life, and education will cause great economic problems in the country.

“In our conversations with Afghan women, they talked about the importance of girls’ education and the need for further opportunities for higher education and employment. To promote equal opportunities for women and girls in all areas of their lives,” Lyons said. “More needs to be done.”

The United Nations added that Afghan women and girls should be given the opportunity to play an active role in building Afghanistan’s future. According to UNAMA, the United Nations is committed to protecting and promoting the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

According to the organization, no lasting peace and stability in a country will be sustainable without the active participation of women and their participation in life, social, economic and political.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Amnesty International said that Afghan women and girls could no longer enjoy their full human rights.

The organization added that the Islamic Emirate has severely restricted women’s freedom of expression and movement and weakened girls’ access to education and employment in the country through policies.

The organization called on the international community to urgently support Afghan women and girls and to press the Islamic Emirate to end its oppression of women in the country.