UNAMA: Restrictions against women must be lifted, otherwise Afghanistan will further descend into isolation

Reporter: Soma Hayat

Bayan News – Otniel Gutiérrez, the Deputy Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), states on International Women’s Day that the policy of repressing women and girls must come to an end, or else the country will move towards further poverty and isolation.

Today, Saturday, March 8th, coincides with International Women’s Day or Women’s Solidarity Day worldwide. This day arrives as women and girls in Afghanistan have been deprived of their fundamental rights over the past two years.

In a statement on this occasion, UNAMA calls on the Taliban to end the restrictions against women and girls to prevent further impoverishment and isolation in Afghanistan.

According to the UNAMA representative, while investment in women is crucial and efforts should be made to achieve greater goals, the opposite is happening in Afghanistan. “It is disheartening to see the exact opposite in Afghanistan: a negative and deliberate investment that causes grave harm to women and girls and only hinders peace and well-being.”

UNAMA expresses concern that the Taliban’s policy of repression, based on their claim of not adhering to Islamic dress codes, is pushing women into further isolation due to fear of arbitrary detentions.

Gutiérrez also referred to the recent report by the entity in his statement and stated that it has highlighted a decline in hope and fear for personal security among women and girls.

The head of UNAMA quoted Afghan women saying that they need international support for their efforts to bring about change from within Afghanistan, including negotiations with the Taliban to establish an inclusive government, ensure women’s representation in talks, and preserve international aid that directly supports women.

Meanwhile, Alison Davidian, the UN Special Representative for Women, added on the occasion of March 8th: “The space for Afghan women and girls is shrinking at an alarming rate, undermining Afghanistan’s future prospects to break free from the destructive cycle of war, poverty, and isolation.”

This UN official also emphasized that the fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan is a global issue and a struggle for women’s rights “everywhere.”