UN Human Rights Chief: Taliban’s Exclusion of Afghan Women Nearly Complete

Kokcha News Agency: Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, declared that the Taliban’s systematic exclusion of Afghan women and girls from public life is nearly complete, four years after the group seized power. Speaking at the 60th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, Türk emphasized that Afghan women’s access to healthcare and other fundamental rights has been severely restricted.

He noted that Afghanistan remains one of the few countries with the highest maternal mortality rates, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. Türk also addressed the expulsion of millions of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan, stating, “Policies and practices that violate the rights of migrants and refugees have become normalized in some countries.”

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, reiterated his call for the establishment of an independent investigative mechanism to address human rights violations in Afghanistan. He argued that such a mechanism would be crucial in holding the Taliban accountable and curbing ongoing abuses.

Since taking power, the Taliban have issued dozens of decrees severely restricting Afghan women’s participation in public and private life. Many human rights experts and activists have labeled these policies as “gender apartheid.” Under Taliban rule, women and girls are banned from schools, universities, sports, traveling without a male guardian, and most forms of employment.