Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Representative for Human Rights and Women in Afghanistan, states that the decrees issued by the interim government over the past three years against women and girls in Afghanistan have been “catastrophic.”
Ms. Amiri raised this issue during a session on the status of women and girls in Afghanistan at the U.S. Congress, noting that women and girls are the “primary victims of the economic and humanitarian crisis” in Afghanistan.
She emphasized that the interim government has fundamentally destroyed the values that the Afghan people had achieved after two decades.
She stated that the current government has banned women and girls from employment sectors and severely restricted their access to healthcare services.
The U.S. Special Representative for Human Rights and Women in Afghanistan, citing a June report by Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, mentioned that the series of decrees from the current government has led to systematic violations of women’s rights and has made it difficult for international organizations to operate.
Ms. Amiri added that the current government has shown no signs of normalization in the past three years, and the United States is not going to recognize them.
Reena Amiri stressed that the world must ensure that Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for terrorists again.
In her continued remarks at the session, she noted that the current government is accused of suppressing human rights, especially women’s rights in Afghanistan.
This U.S. official welcomed the sanctions imposed against the current government by the United States, stating, “We welcome these sanctions.”
Ms. Amiri mentioned that over 100 individuals and five entities of the current government are under sanctions, and they will work with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the UN Special Rapporteur to hold the interim government accountable.
Additionally, for nearly three years, the interim government has banned girls above sixth grade from attending school in Afghanistan.
The interim government has also prevented Afghan women and girls from studying at universities, educational centers, and working in domestic and international organizations.
These actions by the current government have resulted in hundreds of thousands being unemployed and millions of girls missing out on education.
