Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, has recently stated that the international community has a responsibility toward Afghan women and girls and must not abandon them.
In a message posted on his X account, Bennett wrote that the restrictions imposed on women—particularly the denial of the right to education and freedom of movement—may amount to international crimes and must be revoked.
He further emphasized that his recent report on women’s access to healthcare services in Afghanistan, which was presented at the sixty-first session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, provides an in-depth examination of the right of women and girls to access healthcare services in the country.
It is worth noting that Bennett’s report, presented on Thursday (February 29) at the session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, addresses various aspects of women’s access to healthcare and highlights the barriers preventing them from receiving medical services.
The report states that women with disabilities face discrimination in accessing healthcare services. Similarly, women in rural areas experience greater limitations in access to medical care, with poverty further exacerbating the situation.
According to Bennett’s report, Afghanistan’s health sector is facing a severe shortage of female staff and is at risk of collapse.
