Taliban Created World's Worst Women's Rights Crisis, Says HRW
Human Rights Watch (HRW) announced on Sunday that the Taliban has created the most serious women’s rights crisis globally over the past three years.
The organisation urged governments worldwide to hold the Taliban leadership accountable for all the serious crimes in Afghanistan.
Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch stated, "Under the Taliban’s abusive rule, Afghan women and girls are living their worst nightmares."
The organisation highlighted a report by Richard Bennett, the United Nations special rapporteur for Afghanistan, which characterises the current situation as "an institutionalised system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity, and exclusion of women and girls”.
HRW also reported that, over the past three years, the Taliban has consistently violated freedom of expression and the rights of journalists and media. Additionally, women have been arbitrarily detained for their attire, and those protesting against Taliban directives have been subjected to torture.
The organisation emphasised that Afghanistan is currently facing one of worst humanitarian crisis worldwide. Taliban-imposed restrictions have severely impacted women's and girls' access to healthcare, jeopardising their health.
Abbasi further stressed that governments engaging with the Taliban must consistently remind them that their repression of women, girls, and all Afghan citizens violates Afghanistan’s obligations under international law.
