In Afghanistan, A Disinvestment in Women

In Afghanistan, A Disinvestment in Women

In Afghanistan, the drastic erosion of women’s and girls’ rights that began with the return to power of the Taliban, continues, according to a report issued on March 6 by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA.

On March 8, we celebrated International Women’s Day, which this year “highlights the need to invest in women,” said UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva. “What we are seeing in Afghanistan is precisely the opposite: a deliberate disinvestment that is both harsh and unsustainable.”

UNAMA’s quarterly report notes that “The Taliban continue to deny women and girls the ability to exercise their human rights,” said Robert Wood, United States’ Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs at the UN.

“The Taliban continue to enforce severe edicts restricting women and girls from secondary or higher education, preventing women’s full participation in the workforce. The Taliban are also detaining women deemed noncompliant with a hijab decree.”

“The United States continues to partner with Afghan women to help them prepare for the day when they are able to fully participate in society,” said Ambassador Wood. Indeed, “On February 27, Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken welcomed the Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic Resilience Summit to the State Department.”

“Secretary Blinken noted the Taliban’s decrees go against the will of the people of Afghanistan. Surveys show that more than 85 percent of the Afghan population believe that women should have equal access to education,” he said.

“The Alliance for Afghan Women’s Economic Resilience will provide virtual job training and skills-building courses for Afghan women around the world,” added Ambassador Wood.

“Working with our partners such as the Qatari government, the Qatari foundation Education Above All, and the American education company Coursera, the Alliance will provide hundreds of thousands of Afghan women with technical job training classes. Taken together, these efforts will support Afghan women as they start and then grow their own businesses.”

“Women’s contributions would help create a more resilient society and add over a billion U.S. dollars to the Afghan economy,” said Ambassador Wood. “It is Afghanistan’s loss if women and girls are not allowed to reach their full potential.”