Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Canada have urged the Islamic Emirate to remove the current restrictions on women.
A statement from Germany’s foreign ministry said that the Islamic Emirate must adhere to Afghanistan’s commitments to international laws.
The statement said: “We have repeatedly and urgently called on Afghanistan and the de facto Taliban government to meet all of Afghanistan’s obligations under international law and to lift all legal restrictions on women and girls. In particular, women and girls must no longer be denied the right to an education.”
“It’s been almost a month since they closed institutes to girls. I am one of the midwifery students. My request is that all women should be able to continue their studies,” Fazila, a midwifery student, told TOLOnews.
The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is one of the most important international documents supporting women’s human rights. The German Foreign Ministry stressed that Afghanistan is also a signatory to this convention, and the “Taliban”, after taking power in Afghanistan, must abide by it.
The statement from Germany’s foreign ministry said: “Together with Australia, Canada and the Netherlands, Germany has decided to hold Afghanistan and the de facto Taliban government accountable for violations of the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). By citing the dispute resolution mechanism referred to in the Convention, we have jointly called on Afghanistan to meet its obligations under the Convention.”
“One of the most important international documents for supporting women’s rights is the UN Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. Under the current circumstances in Afghanistan, Afghan women are facing extreme restrictions. To remove these restrictions, this convention needs to be implemented to eliminate discrimination in political, economic, cultural, and social spheres,” Bahara Ataei, a university professor, told TOLOnews.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on this matter, but it has previously stated that women’s rights in Afghanistan are ensured based on Islamic laws.