Members of Afghanistan’s Women Protesters Coalition have requested the UN Special Coordinator for assessment of the Afghanistan situation, Feridun Sinirlioğlu, and his team to prioritize the current human rights crisis in the country.
Sinirlioğlu has traveled to Kabul in recent days and reportedly held a meeting with Din Mohammad Hanif, the Taliban’s Minister of Economy, on Tuesday.
In a letter addressed to Sinirlioğlu, the Women expressed deep concerns regarding the worsening conditions faced by women, as well as ethnic and religious groups in Afghanistan.
The women has called on Sinirlioğlu and his team to prioritize the human rights crisis by addressing the worsening humanitarian situation, understand the oppressive governance of the Taliban, engage with affected groups, consult independent women’s movements and critics of Taliban policies, conduct visits to affected provinces, and hold the Taliban accountable for their severe human rights abuses.
They have highlighted the urgency of conducting an independent assessment to address the critical situation in the country. They have called on the UN Special Coordinator to consider and emphasize the Taliban’s continuous attacks on women’s rights and marginalized ethnic and religious groups, urging the international community for immediate and united action.
In the letter, the women are emphasizing the non-recognition of the Taliban and stressing the need to hold them accountable for severe human rights violations.
Afghanistan’s Women Protesters Coalition wrote: “It is essential to recognize that continued unconditional engagement with the Taliban, under the guise of providing humanitarian assistance, is not a permanent solution to the crisis Afghanistan faces.”
“We expect that the outcomes of the assessment will reflect the demands of the Afghan people for an inclusive government that represents the ethnic diversity of the country and guarantees equal and meaningful participation of women in decision-making processes.” They added.
