KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Women foreign ministers from 16 countries and the European Union have condemned the Taliban’s ongoing human rights abuses against women and girls in Afghanistan, describing the country as the “most oppressive” place for women under Taliban rule.
In a statement on Saturday, the ministers voiced deep concern over the Taliban’s systematic restrictions on women’s access to education, healthcare, employment, and public participation.
“With each edict, the Taliban further restrict women’s and girls’ access to fundamental aspects of public life,” the statement read. “Afghanistan is the most oppressive country in the world for women, a dark reality that we cannot ignore.”
The meeting, chaired by Canada’s Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, highlighted that Afghanistan remains the only country where girls are banned from attending secondary school and pursuing higher education.
The ministers also condemned the Taliban’s December 2024 decree banning women from medical training, including in nursing and midwifery. They warned that this measure jeopardizes maternal and child health in a country already facing one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates.
The statement called for the repeal of the Taliban’s so-called “Morality Laws,” which severely restrict women’s freedom of movement and expression, effectively confining them to their homes.
The ministers urged the Taliban to comply with Afghanistan’s international obligations under the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
“On September 25, 2024, Canada, Australia, Germany and the Netherlands announced in a joint statement that they have taken formal steps to hold Afghanistan accountable under CEDAW,” the statement read, adding that the initiative is now supported by 25 other countries.
The statement emphasized that a peaceful and stable Afghanistan is only possible if women and girls can participate fully and meaningfully in all aspects of public life.
The ministers called on the international community to advocate for Afghan women’s inclusion in discussions about the country’s future, including in the U.N.-facilitated Doha process.
The joint statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Andorra, Australia, Colombia, Ecuador, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Iceland, Jamaica, Kosovo, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Mongolia, Slovenia, Sweden, and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The international community has repeatedly urged the Taliban to reverse their restrictions on women’s rights, but the group has shown no signs of easing its hardline policies.
