EU, UN Hold Meeting In Support Of Afghan Women's Rights

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the first day of the UN General Assembly session.

Adela Raz, a former Afghan ambassador to Washington, who attended the meeting, told Afghanistan International that the purpose of the meeting was to review the situation of women in Afghanistan and how the international community supports their rights, especially women working in the business and health sectors.

The joint statement of the EU and UN Women's mission stated that the rights of Afghan women have been significantly reduced, with devastating effects on their access to education, employment and public life.

One of the goals of the meeting was to draw the attention of the international community to the crisis of women's rights in Afghanistan.

"As the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, this event provides a platform for meaningful dialogue on the international community's efforts to protect and advance their rights," said a joint statement by the EU and UN Women mission ahead of the meeting.

The European Union and UN Women have emphasised that the views of Afghan women should be taken into account in decision-making forums on Afghanistan.

Both organisations also emphasised continued support for Afghan women and girls.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday stressed at a special session focusing on Afghan women that he will never allow the Taliban's restrictive laws to become the norm.

The UN Secretary-General said that women and girls face a deep crisis of repression and gender discrimination in Afghanistan. Referring to the Law on the Promotion of Virtue, he said that with this new law, the Taliban have formalised the exclusion of women from the public sphere.