Afghanistan World's Most Repressive Country Regarding Women's Rights: Roza Otunbayeva

In a statement on International Women's Day, the UN mission said that Afghanistan's new authorities had demonstrated an almost“singular focus on imposing rules that leave most women and girls effectively trapped in their homes.”

The statement said that the bans against women working, studying, travelling without a male companion, and even going to parks or baths remain in place.

“Confining half of the country's population to their homes in one of the world's largest humanitarian and economic crises is a colossal act of national self-harm,” Ms Otunbayeva said.

Since the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan remains the largest humanitarian crisis globally. Two-thirds of the population, 28 million, will need humanitarian assistance this year to survive. This will cost $4.62 billion, the single-largest country appeal ever.

Almost half of the population, 20 million people, are experiencing crisis levels of food insecurity. Six million are one step away from famine-like conditions, the statement read.

The bans against women working have disrupted the humanitarian aid by the international organization since most NGO staff are Afghan women.

According to the statement, the document proposed two essential elements, forming the basis of a process that can help confidence and lead to a mutually acceptable outcome.

Firstly, all the decrees regarding women's work and education have to reverse for the sake of the international community and urged the Taliban to give more significant consideration to the fact that this is in their interest and, above all, in the interest of the Afghan people, the statement said.

Secondly, the international community must begin constructing an agenda for discussion with the de facto authorities, including issues concerning the Taliban.

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