Rina Amiri, the US special representative for Afghan women's affairs, said on Thursday that the Taliban's policies and actions show complete disregard for Afghanistan's international obligations.
Engagement with the group without prioritising human rights is counterproductive, she said.
"In the past three years, the Taliban has deprived women of their most basic rights, such as the right to education, decision-making, travel, and even to speak in public," Amiri wrote on social media platform X on Thursday in response to the Taliban's new decree banning women from attending medical institutes.
She stated that these policies are a clear example of gender discrimination and an attempt to exclude women from society.
Amiri added that the Taliban's closure of health institutes would eliminate access to vital health services, including maternal care. She called the decision inhumane and a threat to the lives of Afghan women and children, warning that these actions endanger the future of the country.
The US Special Representative clarified that preventing the training of female doctors and prohibiting the treatment of women and girls by male doctors is inhumane and illogical.
The Taliban's new decree has sparked a wave of international condemnation. In addition to the United States, countries such as Germany and France, the European Union, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and human rights organisations have described the decision as "unacceptable" and "destructive”.
