UN official said Afghanistan could be integrated into the international community if the issue of rights of women is resolved…reports Asian Lite News
The UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan Markus Potzel has said Afghanistan could be integrated into the international community if the issue of female education, and their work for international NGOs, national NGOs, and UN organizations is resolved, Tolo News reported.
Speaking to UN News, Potzel said in a speech that women have the right to participate in society and urged the Taliban to fulfill its international obligations, including ensuring the rights to education and work for its population.
The UN deputy special representative for Afghanistan asked the Taliban to revoke the restrictions on females as soon as possible. “Otherwise, there will always be a shadow on Afghanistan’s relations with the international community,” he said.
Potzel noted, “I think that the de facto authorities in Afghanistan should let girls go to school beyond grade six. They should let girls go to university. They should let women work for international, national, and UN organizations. And they should let women participate in social life. If this happens, I can imagine that Afghanistan would be integrated into the international community again, and international donors would also rethink and probably reinforce engagement with Afghanistan.”
Potzel further stated that UNAMA is attempting to foster cooperation and help the Afghan government get out of isolation.
“We think isolation is not an option, at least not a good option, for the future of Afghanistan,” he said.
According to political experts, Afghanistan may overcome its political isolation by acceding to the legitimate demands of the international community.
“Afghanistan’s problems are internal, political and related to the Islamic Emirate. The Islamic Emirate should start a dialogue with the Afghans, and then it is possible for foreigners to interact with them,” said Wahid Faqiri, an international relations expert.
Previously, the Taliban has said that the issue of women in Afghanistan is one of the country’s internal issues and other institutions and countries should not interfere.
Women’s beauty salons targeted
The Taliban has in a new verbal decree, banned women’s beauty salons in Kabul and other provinces across the country, a spokesman for Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue, Mohammad Akif Mahajar, told TOLO News.
TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul. The Taliban Ministry of Vice and Virtue also ordered the Kabul municipality to bring the new decree of the Taliban leader into effect and cancel the licenses of women’s beauty salons.
“The men are jobless. When men cannot take care of their families, the women are forced to work in a beauty salon to find a loaf of bread. If they are banned there, what can we do?” said Raihan Mubariz, a makeup artist, as per TOLO News.
“We will not get out of the home if men (of the family) have jobs. What can we do? We should starve to death, what should we do? You want us to die,” said a makeup artist.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has banned girls and women from going to schools, universities and working at NGOs as well as going to public areas such as parks, cinemas and other recreation areas.
Kabul resident Abdul Khabir said: “The government should make a framework for it. The framework should be in a way that neither Islam would be damaged nor the country.”
The imposition of restrictions on Afghan girls and women by the Taliban has sparked reactions at both the national and international levels. (ANI)