Afghanistan: No future without women’s participation
Source: The European Sting
Afghan women earned the right to vote more than a century ago. Today, under Taliban rule, they are practically erased from public life and even banned from singing.
These were just some of the chilling observations and testimony from Afghan women, together with supporters from around the world, who convened at UN Headquarters on Monday to discuss inclusion and women’s rights going forward.
“Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to include women in all matters concerning Afghanistan’s future meaningfully,” said former Afghan diplomat Asila Wardak of the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan.
Stressing that the country’s future “cannot be built on the exclusion of half of the population,” she said that “women must be part of the solution, not sidelined.”
UN expresses solidarity
The meeting was co-hosted by Ireland, Indonesia, Switzerland and Qatar, in partnership with the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan, which works to ensure that Afghan women are included in any dialogue and decision-making at the international level on the future of their country.
It came on the eve of the annual debate in the General Assembly, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres took time out of his packed schedule to uphold international solidarity with Afghan women.
“We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the country’s life, both inside its borders and on the global stage,” he said.
Mr. Guterres vowed that the UN “will never allow gender-based discrimination to become normalized anywhere in the world,” adding “what is happening in Afghanistan can be compared with some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history.”
Read here the full article published by The European Sting on 24 September 2024.
Image credits: The European Sting
Afghan women earned the right to vote more than a century ago. Today, under Taliban rule, they are practically erased from public life and even banned from singing.
These were just some of the chilling observations and testimony from Afghan women, together with supporters from around the world, who convened at UN Headquarters on Monday to discuss inclusion and women’s rights going forward.
“Now, more than ever, it’s crucial to include women in all matters concerning Afghanistan’s future meaningfully,” said former Afghan diplomat Asila Wardak of the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan.
Stressing that the country’s future “cannot be built on the exclusion of half of the population,” she said that “women must be part of the solution, not sidelined.”
UN expresses solidarity
The meeting was co-hosted by Ireland, Indonesia, Switzerland and Qatar, in partnership with the Women’s Forum on Afghanistan, which works to ensure that Afghan women are included in any dialogue and decision-making at the international level on the future of their country.
It came on the eve of the annual debate in the General Assembly, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres took time out of his packed schedule to uphold international solidarity with Afghan women.
“We will continue to amplify the voices of Afghan women and call for them to play a full role in the country’s life, both inside its borders and on the global stage,” he said.
Mr. Guterres vowed that the UN “will never allow gender-based discrimination to become normalized anywhere in the world,” adding “what is happening in Afghanistan can be compared with some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history.”
Read here the full article published by The European Sting on 24 September 2024.
Image credits: The European Sting