Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has called for greater engagement and concrete measures to lift the restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls by the Taliban.
Otunbayeva made the remarks during a meeting with representatives of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Kabul, where she highlighted the severe consequences of ongoing restrictions on women’s education, employment, and access to healthcare.
On Tuesday, 20 February, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), Otunbayeva reiterated that the Taliban’s policies are causing long-term damage to Afghan society. She stressed that women’s and girls’ rights must be prioritised and noted that her discussions with OIC representatives were both constructive and critical in addressing these concerns.
Her remarks were made during the “Workshop on Dissemination of the Jeddah Declaration”, held at the OIC office in Kabul on 17–18 February.
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) also issued a statement regarding Otunbayeva’s meeting with Tariq Ali Bakhit, the OIC representative in Afghanistan.
According to the statement, the two officials discussed joint cooperation between the UN and OIC in supporting Afghanistan’s people and tackling political, humanitarian, and security challenges.
Over the past three years, the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade has left 1.4 million female students unable to continue their studies. Women have also been barred from working in NGOs and pursuing higher education.
Despite international and domestic pressure, the Taliban maintain that the "Islamic conditions" in Afghanistan are not yet suitable for girls’ education.
The UN, OIC, and other international organisations continue to call for immediate action to restore Afghan women’s fundamental rights, which remain among the most severely restricted in the world.
