In a statement released on International Women’s Day, the Taliban asserted that Afghan women enjoy security and that their rights are safeguarded, while the United Nations criticized the ongoing prohibitions on female employment and education.
Since the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan in 2021, they have imposed prohibitions on education for females beyond the sixth grade, restricted employment opportunities, and limited access to many public spaces for women. Last August, the Ministry of Vice and Virtue introduced regulations that restrict women’s voices and visibility outside their homes.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, shared a message on his official account, although he did not explicitly reference International Women’s Day, observed on March 8. He emphasized that the dignity, honor, and legal rights of women remain a priority for the Islamic emirate, which is the Taliban’s official term for their government.
Mujahid claimed that Afghan women live in both physical and psychological security. “According to Islamic law and Afghan cultural traditions, the fundamental rights of Afghan women are protected. However, it’s important to remember that these rights are discussed within an Islamic and Afghan societal context, which differs significantly from Western societies,” he remarked.
The United Nations reiterated its demand for the Taliban to revoke the bans. “The exclusion of women and girls from public life is untenable,” declared Roza Otunbayeva, head of the U.N. mission in Afghanistan. “We are steadfast in our commitment to fostering their resilience and leadership, as they are crucial to Afghanistan’s future.”
Alison Davidian, U.N. Women Afghanistan’s special representative, stressed that the global community should not accept a reality for Afghan women that would be unacceptable elsewhere. “How we respond to their exclusion is a testament to our dedication to women and girls worldwide,” Davidian stated. “We must support Afghan women as if our own lives depend on it—because they do.”
The Taliban remains isolated from Western nations and lacks international recognition due to their policies restricting women and girls.
The Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization noted that 893 women are currently employed in the media sector, a significant drop from the 2,756 working before 2021, as reported by Reporters Without Borders. According to the Afghan support organization, there are nine provinces with no women in the media industry. The declining participation of female journalists, affected by the Taliban’s discriminatory policies, indicates a “coordinated effort” to remove women from the media landscape, it asserted.
In Paris, UNESCO hosted a high-level conference focused on women and girls in Afghanistan. The event included figures such as Hamida Aman, founder of the women-only station Radio Begum, Fawzia Khoofi, a former parliamentarian from the Western-backed government, and rights experts like Richard Bennett, who is prohibited from entering Afghanistan.
In what appeared to be a critique of the event, Saif ul-Islam Khyber, the spokesman for the Vice and Virtue Ministry, commented that recent international conferences held under the banner of women’s rights highlighted the perceived hypocrisy of certain organizations and foundations linked to the European Union.
