The UN Security Council unanimously urged the Taliban to “swiftly reverse” policies restricting human rights and freedoms for Afghan women, in a statement released on Tuesday.
This call comes just a few days after female TV presenters were mandated to completely cover their bodies including their faces, the latest development in the heap of Taliban restrictions on civil society, mostly focused on girls and women.
The council’s 15 member states, in the draft released by Norway, said they were particularly bothered about the “imposition of restrictions that limit access to education, freedom of movement, employment, and women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in public life.”
The council called on the Taliban to “swiftly reverse the policies and practices which are currently restricting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Afghan women and girls.” It also demanded the immediate re-opening of schools for all female students and expressed great worry over the declaration that women must cover their faces in public, even on television broadcasts.
The statement also mentioned the council’s “deep concern” over the “volatile situation in Afghanistan” which affects humanitarian, political, economic, and social issues. It highlights drug trafficking and terrorist attacks on civilians, and the need to restore the country’s financial and banking systems to normalcy.
China and Russia have not been forthcoming in negotiations, as they have declined to focus on human rights, according to diplomats.
