UN Security Council: the Taliban must lift all anti-women restrictions

The UN Security Council has urged the Taliban leaders to reverse their oppressive decisions on women and girls’ rights in Afghanistan. In a statement following a special meeting convened behind closed doors to discuss the Taliban’s recent round of bans on women’s rights to education and work, the UNSC urged the group to “immediately reverse all oppressive measures against women and girls, adhere to their commitments set out in UNSC 2593 and respect the rights of women and girls, and their full, equal and meaningful participation and inclusion across all aspects of society in Afghanistan, from political and economic, to education and public space.”

The 11 members, including Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Gabon, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, the UAE, and the UK and the US had came together at the request of Japan and the UAE to discuss of the latest developments in Afghanistan, reiterated that letting women work for NGOs was central and critical to relieve the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.