In the fifty-sixth session of the Human Rights Council, it was stated that Afghan women will remain among the most marginalized segments of society until 2030.

In the fifty-sixth session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva, it was stated that Afghan women will remain among the poorest segments of society until 2030.

High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, who spoke at the session on Tuesday, June 29th, described the situation of women in Afghanistan as alarming and stated, “I condemn systematic violence against women and girls in Afghanistan, especially their deprivation of rights to education, employment, and freedom of movement. Human rights defenders and journalists are arbitrarily detained and imprisoned as their opinions regarding the ruling authorities in Afghanistan are perceived as criticism.”

Mr. Turk emphasized that the violation of women’s rights and lack of equality undermines development and expressed concern that Afghan women may become the largest group living in poverty in society by 2030.

On the other hand, Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, presented his report on the human rights situation, highlighting women and girls under Taliban rule as victims of “institutionalized discrimination, segregation, and exclusion.”

Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Afghanistan’s representative to the UN Human Rights Council, also stated at the session that “Afghanistan is experiencing the gravest human rights crisis under Taliban rule” and added, “The Taliban work against human rights and women’s rights as seeds of a dangerous ideology in the minds of men.”

These discussions come amid Taliban’s barring of tens of thousands of Afghan women and girls from working in governmental and non-governmental organizations. In their latest move, salaries of women employees working in some Afghan government offices have been halved, with their wages set at 5000 Afghanis.