UN warns Afghan women face "increasingly untenable" situation and risk removal from public life

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 13 (ANI): UN Women has warned that the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan has become increasingly unbearable, with a serious risk of their complete removal from public life, Tolo News reported.

"Four years after Taliban fighters retook the capital Kabul on 15 August 2021, gender equality agency UN Women is warning that the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is increasingly untenable," the UN Women stated, Tolo News said.

Concerns extend beyond education and employment deprivation. The UN reported that in May, dozens of its female staff members in Afghanistan were explicitly threatened with death due to their work with international organizations.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said: "Based on monitoring body, UN Missions Human Rights Service, the update also notes that in May, dozens of women working for the United Nations were subject to explicit death threats from unidentified individuals in relation to their work with the UN mission and other UN agencies, funds and programs. This required us to implement interim measures to protect the safety of our colleagues," Tolo News reported.

Meanwhile, some Afghan women continue to call on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to provide opportunities for education and work. Masouda Hematzai, a mother of four who previously worked in a government institution, has turned to making handmade wall art at home as her only source of income.

She said: "I was working as an instructor in the training department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. After the Islamic Emirate came to power, I lost my job. As the head of my household with three sons and one daughter, it was hard for me to stay unemployed and homebound," Tolo News reported.

On the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Islamic Emirate's rule, women's rights activists emphasized that Afghan women need access to education and jobs, warning that "silence" in the face of restrictions equates to accepting the elimination of half of society.

Mumtaz Yousufzai, a women's rights activist, said: "My request, as a woman and a human being, from the Islamic Emirate is to take more measures in the field of women's work and rights. Four years is a very long time we have endured. During this period, many matters have improved, but in terms of women's rights, no concrete action or proposal has been considered," Tolo News added.

Tafsir Siahpoosh, another activist, urged: "Our request from the Islamic Emirate is to pay attention to women's demands, because we witness increasing restrictions against women every day. Our request from the international community is also to respond to women's voices and listen to them," Tolo News reported.

Earlier, the Executive Director of UN Women, along with representatives from the UK and France, criticized the continuation of restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan during a UN Security Council meeting, Tolo News said. (ANI)

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