"The United Nations invited the jihadist Taliban terrorist organization to a two-day conference on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, next weekend, its third such meeting since the Taliban seized power in 2021. The Islamist extremists have reportedly demanded no Afghan women should be allowed to participate in the meeting. Human rights activists seem deeply worried that the U.N. will bow to the Taliban’s demands and create some political cover by scheduling other meetings in Doha that would include critics of the Taliban’s misogynist policies.
Excluding women risks legitimizing the Taliban’s abuses and triggering irreparable harm to the U.N.’s credibility as an advocate for women’s rights and women’s meaningful participation,” said Tirana Hassan of Human Rights Watch (HRW).“ What is happening in Afghanistan is the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world and the idea that the U.N. would convene a meeting like this and not discuss women’s rights and not have Afghan women in the room is beyond belief,” said Heather Barr, another HRW representative.“ The only plausible explanation is that they’re doing this to get the Taliban to the table, but for what? Already, three years of diplomatic engagement has produced nothing and all this does is set an appalling precedent, emboldens and legitimizes the Taliban and hands them a huge political win. It is a betrayal not just of Afghan women but all women around the world,” said Barr.
