The Kabul Tribune (KT) — U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has urged Afghanistan's Taliban authorities to immediately lift restrictions on women and girls, including a ban preventing Afghan women from accessing United Nations offices across the country.
In a statement issued Saturday by his spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, Guterres said he remained deeply concerned by the Taliban's continuing discriminatory policies against Afghan women and girls, which he said affect every aspect of their lives.
He said restrictions on women's full participation in public life, education and many areas of employment violate their fundamental rights and remain a major obstacle to Afghanistan's economic development, stability and reintegration into the international community.
The statement came as Sunday, Sept. 7, marks one year since Afghan women were prevented from accessing U.N. compounds across Afghanistan.
Guterres said the restrictions violate international law, including the U.N. Charter, and undermine the organization's ability to carry out its mandate and deliver life-saving and other assistance to Afghans at a time of continuing humanitarian need.
“Unhindered access for all United Nations personnel to their places of work is critical to fulfil our mandate,” the statement said, emphasizing the importance of reaching vulnerable people, particularly women and girls.
Guterres said allowing female U.N. personnel to deliver humanitarian assistance and essential services to Afghan women and girls was critical to an effective and principled response.
He reiterated his call on the Taliban authorities to immediately reverse the ban on Afghan women working for the United Nations and ensure their safe and unhindered access to U.N. premises throughout the country.
Guterres also urged the Taliban to lift all restrictions imposed on women and girls and uphold their rights to “full, equal and meaningful participation” in all aspects of Afghan society.
The Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women and girls since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, including bans on girls attending school beyond the sixth grade and women attending universities. Women have also faced restrictions on employment, movement and participation in public life.
The Taliban have defended their policies as consistent with their interpretation of Islamic law and Afghan culture, despite widespread international condemnation and repeated calls for the restrictions to be reversed.
