Women’s Rights Crisis In Afghanistan Is Being Normalised, Says UN Envoy
The UN special representative on Afghan women’s affairs has warned that Afghanistan is facing the world’s most severe women’s rights crisis under Taliban rule.
Susan Ferguson said the crisis, driven by systematic restrictions imposed over the past four years, is increasingly being normalised by the international community.
Ferguson said the Taliban have issued dozens of decrees over the past four years that strip Afghan women of their rights and dignity. She described the enforcement of the so-called “morality law” as a turning point in their systematic exclusion from public life.
“We must stand up for all women and girls in Afghanistan,” Ferguson said, urging stronger global solidarity.
She noted that Afghan women continue to feel unsafe in public spaces and even within their own families, and many do not benefit from the relative security that has emerged since the Taliban’s return to power.
Ferguson called for continued support for women-led NGOs, expanded job opportunities, and stronger participation of Afghan women in international dialogue.
The UN has previously reported that the Taliban have issued nearly 100 restrictive decrees against women since 2021. Ferguson has also stressed that these restrictions extend beyond Afghanistan’s borders, further limiting Afghan women’s mobility and participation.
