UN Chief Urges World to Support Afghan Women

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the world to support Afghan women, adding that it is a struggle on “many fronts” in Afghanistan.

Speaking at the UN Committee on the Status of Women, Guterres stated that they have been “supporting schools wherever it is possible, schools with girls in the secondary level,” he said ToloNews quoted.

 “The donor community has said there will only be aid where women are involved. Where women are not involved, the aid will not be present. So, the pressure goes on to guarantee that we have women working in the humanitarian sector. In the public services, few women are working, and we are fighting hard to increase it,” he said.

Last week, he also said that the United Nations would continue demanding the fundamental rights of women and girls in Afghanistan under any circumstances.

The UN Commission on the Status of Women started on Monday to assess the situation of women around the world and will continue until March 17. The situation of women, particularly in Afghanistan, will be discussed by representatives worldwide.

Guterres also raised concerns about closing universities and secondary schools for women and girls.

Since August 2021, girls and women have been deprived of the right to education. They are no longer allowed to attend secondary school and higher education. 

According to a report by UNESCO, more than 1.1 million Afghan girls over 12 years of age have been banned from going to school. 

Earlier, the United Nations said that refusing the fundamental human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan can be a crime against humanity.

However, Bilal Karimi, the de facto government’s deputy spokesman, said that all Afghans’ rights are preserved within Sharia law.

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