The Impact of Taliban’s Edicts on Women and Girls in Afghanistan, Event’s Report

The Women and Children Research and Advocacy Network (WCRAN) presented the findings of its lat

est research that studies the “Impacts of Taliban’s Edicts on Women and Girls in Afghanistan” in an event featuring a diverse array of Participants, including Canada’s Members of Parliament and Senators, UN representatives, Ambassadors, the EU special representative for Afghanistan, civil society, and women’s rights activists.

The event was hosted at the Canadian Parliament on November 25, 2024, which coincided with the Inter

national Day for theElimination of Violence against Women and marked the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. The primary objectives were to disseminate WCRAN’s recent research findings, enhance global awareness regarding the current realities in Afghanistan, and foster a global alliance in support of Afghanistan women.

The Honorable Ali Ehsassi, Canadian Member of Parliament, opened the event by reflecting on the regression of human rights in Afghanistan over the past three years. He noted that after two decades of progress in various areas, there has been a significant deterioration in rights for all Afghanistan people and called for a unified international response to support them during these challenging times.

The Honorable Pam Damoff, Parliamentary Secretary to Foreign Affairs, addressed the targeted campaign against women and girls that has driven many to despair. She reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to addressing these injustices through international legal frameworks.

Ms. Zarqa Yaftali, CEO of WCRAN, highlighted that recent research reveals systematic discrimination against women in Afghanistan since the Taliban’s return to power. She described the situation as gender apartheid and expressed hopes for increased support from the international community, particularly Canada, in advocating for women’s rights.

Ms. Sotoda Frotan, a WCRAN member, presented alarming findings from the organization’s recent research that studies the impact of Taliban’s edicts on women’s and girls’ lives. The areas studied include Employment, Public Participation and Social life, Access to Education, Political Participation, and Gender-based Violence.

The director of a women-led organization operating within Afghanistan shared insights on the current challenges faced by women and girls in accessing aid and services. She provided specific recommendations on how stakeholders can better support Afghanistan women by prioritizing their needs.

The Honorable Marilou McPhedran underscored the necessity of mapping out actionable strategies to ensure effective advocacy for Afghanistan women and girls. She stressed that collaboration is essential for bringing about meaningful change.

Ambassador Hassan Soroosh of Afghanistan acknowledged Canada’s steadfast commitment to supporting Afghanistan women and girls while warning that the situation continues to worsen on all fronts due to institutionalized discrimination. He called for a robust global alliance and proactive international responses to address these challenges.

Mr. Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, raised concerns about increasing reports of domestic violence and mental health issues among Afghanistan women and emphasized that there should be no normalization with the Taliban until there are demonstrable improvements in human rights.

Mr. Tomas Niklasson, the EU Special Representative for Afghanistan, spoke about the EU’s commitment to a “by women for women” approach in aid interventions and highlighted the importance of ensuring that women play a meaningful role in designing aid programs and that they are the primary recipients of assistance.

In a pre-recorded message, Ambassador Jacqueline O’Neill, Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security, underscored the critical role of local women-led organizations in Afghanistan. She praised the WCRAN’s courageous research and reporting as one of the few windows into the dire implications of Taliban edicts.

During the panel discussion, various experts provided insights into strategies for supporting Afghanistan women and girls.

Mr. Aziz Rafiee called for a three-pronged approach focusing on empowering women in Afghanistan, creating networks, and providing protection services while Honorable Salma Zahid emphasized Canada’s role as a strong advocate for women’s rights, particularly in ensuring girls have access to education.

Ms. Masooma Khawari pointed out that since the Taliban’s return to power, restrictions on women’s rights have severely impacted not just women but the future of Afghanistan as a whole and Professor Homa Hoodfar stressed the need to broaden the conversation beyond education and called for connections between transnational women’s movements and national efforts to keep these issues on the international agenda.

Finally, Ms. Khadija Elham articulated a call to action against the Taliban’s misogynistic policies and outlined the four pillars of these policies: exclusion from politics, restriction from public spaces, prohibition of education, and denial of the right to work.

In conclusion, Mr. Shoaib Rahim highlighted the critical importance of defending human rights and women’s rights, noting that the collective commitment demonstrated by numerous participants was reflected in the increased engagement and quality of discussions.

He urged that Canada enhance its international role in mobilizing Member States and recommended that the Canadian Parliament establish a committee to follow up on the research findings and implement the proposed recommendations.

Furthermore, Mr. Rahim called upon Canada’s permanent representative to the UN to distribute the research report and its findings to UN member states in New York. This dissemination is essential for advancing discussions on gender apartheid and for advocating for women’s rights and human rights in response to the Taliban’s decrees.

The event concluded with an expression of gratitude towards the Canadian Members of Parliament and Senators for their hospitality and active participation and it was emphasized that the dialogue must continue to foster ongoing engagement on these vital issues.