Afghan Women Rights Group Accuses US Special Envoy for Women of Betraying Them

The Afghan Women's Political Participation Network criticised the US Special Representative for Afghan Women's Affairs for her comments about the need to engage with the Taliban.

In a statement, the network said that the statements of Rina Amiri, the US special envoy for human rights and women in Afghanistan, are a “betrayal to the trust of Afghan women”.

This network urged the international community and the United Nations to listen to Afghan voices.

In a symbolic move on Friday in Kabul, Women's Unity, and Solidarity Protest Movement too, set on fire pictures of the Taliban, and the group’s supporters.

The movement said, "We, the women of Afghanistan, do not want to negotiate with the Taliban under any circumstances and we want the Taliban not to be recognised. We will not allow any men or women to sacrifice for their own interests."

Following the meeting with the Taliban's foreign minister in Doha, Amiri said that she met with the group's representatives due to "Afghans and human rights defenders insisting on direct engagement with the Taliban”.

Earlier, Amiri’s statements were met with wide-ranging criticisms too. Michael McCaul, Chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, criticised the country’s special envoy for women and human rights in Afghanistan for meeting Taliban members in Doha.

McCaul said, “There are more repressive edicts against Afghan women and girls today than there were when Amiri took office.”

The Chairman of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs stressed that the US representatives’ engagement with the Taliban doesn’t help Afghan women.