In a joint statement, eleven member countries of the UN Security Council expressed their dissatisfaction with the new Afghan law that prohibits women from “raising their voice” outside the home.
Twelve of the fifteen members of the United Nations Security Council on Friday denounced the continued “oppression” of women in Afghanistan and expressed concern about a new morality law announced by the country’s government.
In a joint statement, Ecuador, France, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States – the vast majority of the Council, with the exception of Russia, China and Algeria – “We express deep concern about the so-called ‘morality law’ announced by the Taliban”.
“We wish to emphasize that such actions by the Taliban simply undermine the efforts of the international community to engage in dialogue with them (…) to achieve an Afghanistan at peace internally and with its neighbors, and fully reintegrated into the international community,” said the signatories of the statement, read to the press by Japanese ambassador Yamazaki Kazuyuki.
“We strongly condemn the continuation of Systematic gender-based discrimination and oppression of women and girls by the Taliban“, the diplomat added.
The twelve countries call on the Taliban authorities to “swiftly reverse all policies and practices” that restrict women’s rights.
The Taliban government’s recently enacted law to “promote virtue and prevent vice” governs many aspects of Afghan life in accordance with Islamic law, Sharia.
The law, which has caused great concern among many Afghans and human rights activists, notably prohibits women from raising their voices outside the home and requires them to cover their entire body and face if they have to go out “out of necessity.”
Source: Observadora
