As March 8 (International Women’s Day) approaches, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the UN Women’s Division are organizing two separate conferences on Afghan women.
UNESCO has announced that today it will hold a conference in Paris to draw global attention to the situation of Afghan women and girls.
The objective of this conference is to raise global awareness and advocate for the rights of Afghan women, particularly in a situation where, according to UNESCO, their freedoms and access to education have been restricted.
UNESCO stated in its announcement: “The UNESCO High Level Conference on Women and Girls in Afghanistan, taking place on Friday, 7 March 2025, will focus on highlighting the dramatic and ongoing challenges faced by women and girls in Afghanistan. The conference aims to raise global awareness and advocate for women’s rights in a context where their freedoms and access to education have been severely restricted.”
“Our primary request from the Islamic Emirate is to pay attention to this matter and bring positive news in the new academic year by reopening closed doors and reducing restrictions,” said Tafsir Siahpoosh, a women’s rights activist.
“The rights granted to women in Islam and within human society must be respected, and they should be given their rightful place. Without women and girls, human progress, development, and continuity are impossible,” said Aziz Maarej, a former diplomat.
Simultaneously, the UN Women’s Division has announced that it will hold a conference on March 13, 2025, with the participation of Afghan women.
The UN agency added that this meeting will include interactive discussions with Afghan women and a report on the laws of the Ministry of Vice and Virtue of the Islamic Emirate.
The UN Women’s Division stated: “By amplifying their voices, this dialogue aims to ensure that Afghan women are not just spoken about but are active participants in shaping the policies that impact their lives.”
“The United Nations has held numerous meetings on Afghanistan, especially regarding women, over the past three and a half years. However, in most of these meetings, only one or two hand-picked women participated instead of real representatives of Afghan women. These meetings have not brought any tangible change to the lives of women in Afghanistan,” said Lamia Shirzai, a women’s rights activist.
The Islamic Emirate has not yet commented on these meetings. However, it has consistently emphasized that women’s rights will be upheld within the framework of Islamic rulings.