KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Canadian senior officials say that, over the past three years, the Taliban has turned Afghanistan into a prison for women and girls, leaving them with little hope for a brighter future.
On August 15, the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan, Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, and Marc Miller, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued a joint statement.
“It has been 3 years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan. During this time, 2 decades of gains in democracy, human rights and education have eroded in the country and for its people,” they stated in the statement.
“The treatment of women and girls by the Taliban is nothing short of horrifying,” they added.
“Women and girls have become prisoners in their homes and communities and have little hope for a brighter future,” the Canadian officials noted.
During the three years of Taliban rule, Afghanistan has become one of the most oppressive countries for women and girls. The regime has severely restricted their movements, denying them access to education, employment, social mobility, and other fundamental freedoms.
UN experts, rights groups, and activists all say that the Taliban’s oppression of women and girls amounts to a system of apartheid, designed to deliberately subjugate them based solely on their gender.
The Canadian ministers also emphasized that under Taliban rule, ethnic and religious minorities, along with other vulnerable groups, continue to face violence and marginalization.
“This includes persistent persecution and violence targeting Hazaras, Ahmadis, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and LGBTQ persons. Peaceful demonstrations are met with arbitrary arrests and brutality, and the country has once again become a safe haven for terrorist groups,” they said.
They stressed that the current situation in Afghanistan has dire consequences for the country, regional stability, and international security.
The statement notes that to address the needs of vulnerable people in Afghanistan, Canada has provided $243 million in humanitarian aid and $108 million to support basic needs, health, education, and women’s rights in the country.
According to the statement, Canada has also supported human rights defenders in exile and resettled over 53,600 Afghans, making it the world’s second-largest resettlement effort.
The Canadian officials vowed to remain engaged in Afghanistan and stand with its people in their fight for a stable, secure, and peaceful country where no one lives in fear or under oppression.
