A senior United Nations official has warned that Afghan women and girls have been stripped of their basic rights and dignity nearly four years after the caretaker government returned to power.
Georgette Gagnon, the UN Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan, said in a recent statement that restrictions on women’s education amount to a devastating loss not only for girls and their families but for Afghan society at large.
“Until recently, hundreds of girls across the country attended schools and universities, and at least half of Kabul University’s students were women. That is no longer the case,” Gagnon noted.
She stressed that the UN remains committed to defending the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Since regaining control, the caretaker government have barred women and girls from nearly all spheres of public life, including education, politics, and social participation. Millions of school-aged girls have been excluded from classrooms, while women face sweeping bans on working with NGOs and even UN offices in Afghanistan.
Women are also prohibited from visiting gyms, restaurants, and public baths, traveling without a male guardian, or being examined by male doctors.
