UNO: A delegation led by the highest-ranking female official at the United Nations urged the Taliban to end its abuse of women and girls, during a four-day visit to Afghanistan that ended on Friday.
According to a UN spokesman, some Taliban officials were more receptive to restoring women's rights, but others openly opposed it.
The UN team met Taliban representatives in the southern city of Kandahar and the country's capital, Kabul. The names of any Taliban officials were not disclosed.
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The discussion centered on restrictions the Taliban have imposed on women and girls since coming to power in August 2021 in the final weeks before the withdrawal of US and NATO forces after 20 years of conflict.
According to UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, the team led by Amina Mohammad found that some Taliban officials "have been cooperative and have found some signs of progress."
The most important thing is to make peace between the (Taliban) officials they have encountered who have been more helpful and those who have not.
The UN team will work with the Taliban to "work together to advance the goals we seek, which include most importantly the full enjoyment of their rights by women and girls," despite the fact that Haq stressed that "there are many different points of authority" within the Taliban.
Sima Bahous, executive director of UN Women, who advocates for gender equality and women's rights, and Khalid Khyari, assistant secretary-general for political affairs, traveled with Mohammed, a former Muslim cabinet minister of Nigeria.
The Taliban gradually re-established their strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, as they had done during their previous rule of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. After the sixth grade, girls are not allowed to attend school, and women are not in the majority. of jobs, public places, or gyms.
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In late December, the Taliban prohibited aid organizations from hiring women, halting the deliveries that keep millions of Afghans alive, and jeopardizing humanitarian aid provided across the country.
In addition, thousands of women working for aid organizations across the war-torn country face a loss of income to support their own families.
In some industries, such as the health sector, women have been allowed to work in limited capacities. According to Haq, what we have seen in terms of fundamental rights for women and girls is a significant step forward. "We're trying to do more, and we'll keep doing that."
It sent a very clear message to the Taliban, according to Mohammad, who said in a statement that "these restrictions present Afghan women and girls with a future that confines them to their homes, violating their rights." and deprives communities of their services."
They emphasized that the principle requiring unrestricted and safe access for all aid workers, including women, forms the basis of how humanitarian aid is provided.
“Our shared goal is to see Afghanistan prosper, live at peace with itself and its neighbors, and move toward sustainable development. As one of the world's most climate change vulnerable countries and in the midst of a dire humanitarian crisis, Afghanistan currently finds itself Is isolating," she said.
During the trip, Mohammed's team also met with women in three cities, including a stop in western Herat, as well as members of civil society.
According to UN Women's BAHOS, Afghan women have demonstrated their courage and determination to remain active in society. It is our responsibility to assist them in their continued advocacy and protection of their rights.
She asserted that the Taliban bans and decrees demonstrate "how quickly decades of progress on women's rights can be reversed in a matter of days," highlighting the situation in Afghanistan as a "serious women's rights crisis and for the international community". A wakeup call".
Members of the delegation visited Indonesia, Pakistan and Turkey, besides Middle Eastern Muslim countries, before arriving in Kabul. In Ankara, Turkey, and Islamabad, she met with representatives of the Islamic Development Bank, the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference, as well as teams of Afghan women. He also spoke with a group of ambassadors and special envoys to Afghanistan based in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
The UN said that everyone "remained steadfast to fundamental principles, including the rights of women and girls to education, work and public life in Afghanistan" and that "the need for a revitalized and realistic political path was consistently highlighted."
Haq called it "a mistake" and "a significant lapse of judgement" and offered an apology for a social media photo that showed seven members of the UN delegation's security team posing in front of a Taliban flag.
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No nation has acknowledged the Taliban, and the previous administration led by Ashraf Ghani continues to hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN. The Taliban are referred to as the nation's "de facto authorities" by the UN.