Wed Sep 25 07:57:07 UTC 2024: ## International Outrage as Taliban Restricts Afghan Women’s Rights
**New York, September 24, 2024** – The Taliban’s escalating restrictions on women in Afghanistan have sparked widespread international condemnation, with women’s rights activists and global figures calling for their inclusion in any future negotiations on the country’s governance.
At a UN General Assembly side event, Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep described the Taliban’s actions as a “suppression of the natural law,” highlighting the new morality law that forbids women from speaking aloud in public. “A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not,” she lamented.
The UN has deemed the law “discriminatory,” pointing out that it reinforces and expands existing restrictions, including mandatory dress codes, the requirement for a male guardian (mahram), and gender segregation in public spaces.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban has implemented a series of oppressive measures against Afghan women, including barring them from secondary and university education, working in government and NGOs, traveling long distances without a male relative, and accessing public spaces like parks and gyms.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the Taliban’s treatment of women as comparable to “some of the most egregious systems of oppression in recent history.” He reiterated the UN’s commitment to amplifying the voices of Afghan women and ensuring their participation in the country’s life, both domestically and internationally.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai echoed this sentiment, calling for an end to the discrimination against women in Afghanistan. “A threat to girls’ rights in Afghanistan is a threat to girls everywhere,” she stated in a Facebook post. “Let’s act for our common future.”
The international community is urging the Taliban to reconsider its policies and engage in dialogue with women’s rights advocates to create a more inclusive future for Afghanistan.
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