News Center- The Taliban have created the world’s most serious women’s rights crisis since taking power in Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday.

 “Afghanistan is also experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with aid severely underfunded, thousands of Afghans forced back into Afghanistan from Pakistan, and thousands of others expecting to emigrate to Western countries still waiting.

“Under the Taliban, Afghanistan is the only country where girls are banned from education beyond the sixth grade. The Taliban have also violated women’s right to freedom of movement, banned them from many forms of employment, dismantled protections for women and girls experiencing gender-based violence, created barriers to them accessing health care, and barred them from playing sports and even visiting parks.” The United Nations special rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, has described the situation in Afghanistan as “an institutionalized system of discrimination, segregation, disrespect for human dignity, and exclusion of women and girls.”

‘Afghan women and girls are living their worst nightmares’

“Under the Taliban’s abusive rule, Afghan women and girls are living their worst nightmares,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch. “All governments should support efforts to hold the Taliban leadership and all those responsible for serious crimes in Afghanistan to account.”

In addition to intensified restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights, the Taliban have severely curtailed freedom of expression and the media and have detained and tortured protesters, critics, and journalists.

The cutoff in development assistance has helped to create Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has reported that more than half of the population, 23 million people, face food insecurity. Women and girls are among the most seriously affected.

The loss of foreign assistance has severely harmed Afghanistan’s healthcare system and exacerbated malnutrition and illnesses resulting from inadequate medical care. Taliban restrictions on women and girls have impeded access to health care, jeopardizing their right to health. The Taliban’s education bans guarantee future shortages of female health workers, Human Rights Watch said.

‘It should also be a call for action’

“The third anniversary of the Taliban’s takeover is a grim reminder of Afghanistan’s human rights crisis, but it should also be a call for action,” Fereshta Abbasi said. “Governments engaging with the Taliban should consistently remind them that their abuses against women and girls and all Afghans violate Afghanistan’s obligations under international law. Donors should provide assistance aimed at reaching those most in need and crafting durable solutions to Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.”