UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous on Wednesday called the decision by the Taliban-installed authorities in Afghanistan to veto women’s access to higher education in the country «appalling».
«The comprehensive onslaught against women’s rights in Afghanistan is unparalleled in the world today (…) it is yet another blatant restriction of their fundamental rights. It is as short-sighted as it is appalling. The right to education for all women and girls must be restored immediately,» she denounced in a statement.
In this regard, Bahous, who is also UN Under-Secretary-General, said that women play «a key role» in the country’s development, as well as in «supporting its peace, security and resilience».
«In the face of incredible challenges, Afghan women have continued to go to university. These institutions were some of the last places where they could come together and continue to learn,» she has clarified, before stressing that the veto represents ignorance of women’s «historic contributions» to society.
«As the secretary general (António Guterres) stated: the denial of education violates the equal rights of women and girls and will have a devastating impact on Afghanistan’s future. It condemns the country to further economic hardship, suffering and international isolation,» Bahous recalled.
Finally, he called on the authorities to «immediately restore the rights of women and girls,» including their right to education, work and participate in Afghanistan’s public life.
«What happens to women and girls in Afghanistan is our global responsibility. We must continue to amplify their voices as they resist erasure. In the face of systematic and deliberate violations of their rights by the Taliban, we must continue to defend and invest in the values on which we stand,» he concluded.
REACTIONS FROM OTHER ISLAMIC COUNTRIES Likewise, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said he was «disappointed» by the decision of the authorities of Afghanistan, a country with which it has a tense relationship due to border disputes.
«Pakistan’s position on this issue has been clear and consistent. We strongly believe that every man and woman has the inherent right to education in accordance with the injunctions of Islam. We strongly urge the Afghan authorities to review this decision,» he said on his Twitter profile.
The Saudi Arabian Foreign Ministry has also joined this denunciation, which in a statement published on the aforementioned social network has shown its «astonishment» and regretted the decision that comes as a «surprise» to «the entire Islamic world».
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
