The following is a statement from the Foreign Ministers of Australia,
Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, the
Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, the United Arab
Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States and the High
Representative of the European Union.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, March 8, 2023, we are united
in calling attention to the situation in Afghanistan, which, over the past
year and a half, has seen one of the steepest declines globally in the
respect for the human rights of women and girls. Afghan women and girls
have been denied access to secondary education, to higher education, to
public and political spaces, and to employment opportunities. Services for
supporting victims of gender-based violence have been largely dismantled.
Unless reversed, the harmful effects of these reprehensible measures will
be devastating and irreparable for Afghanistan’s economy and society –
effects that will be felt by every Afghan. The full respect for the human
rights and fundamental freedoms of women and girls and their equal and
meaningful participation in society are not only goals in themselves but
also are prerequisites for sustainable economic and political development,
social cohesion, stability, and peace in Afghanistan.
We unite in acknowledging the extraordinary courage of women and girls in
Afghanistan. Despite mounting restrictions and intimidation by the Taliban,
they continue to support and contribute to their families and communities.
We applaud the many Afghan communities and individuals who have strongly
and bravely stood up in support of Afghan women and girls.
We support the calls by the people of Afghanistan for women and girls’ full
access to quality education at schools and universities and women’s
unrestricted ability to work in all sectors, including humanitarian
assistance and basic services delivery, equitable and comprehensive
delivery of which is impossible without full participation of women.
We note the December 2022 statement from the Organization of Islamic
Cooperation (OIC) that the decision to prevent women and girls from
accessing education runs contrary to Islamic law. We are deeply concerned
that Afghanistan is experiencing one of the world’s largest humanitarian
crises, with millions on the threshold of starvation. The Taliban’s edict
barring women from working for national and international nongovernmental
organizations, and the effects of the edict on some governmental
organizations, is already jeopardizing the efforts of humanitarian
organizations to reach the more than 28 million Afghans who depend on
humanitarian aid to survive.
We acknowledge the key role of the UN in the delivery of humanitarian
assistance. Barring women and girls from receiving an education and
excluding women from working in crucial sectors will also severely inhibit
the much-needed economic recovery of Afghanistan.
This support for the Afghan people is particularly relevant, as we fear
that the Taliban will implement further measures restricting women and
girls’ exercise of civil, political, economic, cultural, and social rights,
with a dire impact on the future of Afghanistan and its people.
Together we urge the Taliban to respect all people of Afghanistan, deliver
on their commitments to the Afghan people and the international community,
and reverse all decisions and practices restricting women’s and girls’
exercise of their human rights and fundamental freedoms.