“We will never allow gender discrimination to become normalized anywhere in the world,” the president said on Monday. Secretary General of the United Nations at an event on women in Afghanistan.
In his opening remarks, António Guterres said that Afghan women face a deep crisis of gender discrimination that can be compared to some of the most atrocious systems of oppression in recent history.
The UN chief noted that the law enacted last August by the de facto authorities “formalizes the systematic elimination of women and girls from public life“and strips them of their rights and freedoms in all areas.
Afghan women are largely confined to their homes, with no freedom of movement and almost no access to education or work, Guterres said. With the adoption of the law of moralityThey are even prohibited from singing or raising their voices in public.
“Many Afghan women They talk about having lost hope and living like shadowsmoving silently in the darkness, always fearing punishment,” he added.
At the same time, they suffer high rates of gender-based violence and an increase in maternal mortality.
National Self-Harm
Guterres noted that gender discrimination not only violates human rights laws, but also completely undermines the de facto authorities’ stated goal of achieving economic self-sufficiency.
“It is self-harm on a national scale (…) Educating girls is one of the fastest ways to boost economic development and improve healththe well-being and prosperity of entire communities and societies,” the UN chief stressed, adding that women’s participation and leadership have proven to be beneficial for peace and security, social protection and environmental stability.
Call from the international community
The Secretary-General echoed calls from countries and organizations around the world, including the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, to respect the fundamental rights of Afghan women.
“I join them in demanding that the de facto authorities Immediately remove all discriminatory restrictions against women and girls and allow them to access schools and universities beyond the sixth grade.”
Guterres also highlighted their courage in demanding and claiming their rights, running businesses in difficult conditions, providing humanitarian aid and running online campaigns.
In this regard, he indicated that The United Nations continues to work with them and women’s groups to “preserve space”” in which they can operate and “serve as a conduit” for dialogue with the de facto authorities.
“We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the life of the country, both within its borders and on the world stage,” she concluded.
Held at UN headquarters one day before the start of the General Debate, the event was organised to raise awareness of the situation of women in the country by the Missions to the United Nations of Ireland, Indonesia, Switzerland and Qatar, in collaboration with the Afghanistan Women’s Forum.
It included the screening of a short version of the documentary The Sharp Edge of Peace, which follows the participation of four Afghan leaders in the Doha talks prior to the Taliban takeover. The documentary was presented by actress Meryl Streep.
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