Veronika Boskovic Pohar, the European Union’s representative in Afghanistan, says that Afghan women and girls play a unique and decisive role in shaping the future of their country.
Marking International Women’s Day, Ms. Boskovic Pohar wrote on her X account that women’s economic empowerment is not only a matter of rights, but also a key factor for Afghanistan’s economic resilience and sustainability.
It is worth noting that after the caretaker government regained control of Afghanistan, Afghan women and girls have faced widespread restrictions in access to education, employment, and economic activities.
After taking power, the current authorities banned women and girls from education and schooling. In their most recent restriction, they closed the doors of medical institutes to girls and women, despite the fact that the health sector across Afghanistan faces a shortage of personnel.
This decision has caused millions of schoolgirls to remain deprived of education.
In addition, women have been banned from going to gyms, restaurants, public baths, being examined by male doctors, traveling without a mahram, and working in domestic and international NGOs as well as even in United Nations offices in Afghanistan.
The policies of the current authorities have led many women and families to lose their sources of income, and their ability to participate in the social and economic life of the country has been severely restricted.
International organizations and the European Union have repeatedly warned that excluding women from employment and economic activities will deepen social inequalities and harm the country’s stability and development.
