UNITED NATIONS (Dispatches) – The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution saying that Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers need to establish an inclusive government that has “the full, equal and meaningful participation of women” and upholds human rights.
The resolution adopted by the UN’s most powerful body also extends the current mandate of the UN political mission in Afghanistan for six months and delivers a clear message that its 15 members will be watching closely what the Taliban do going forward.
The statement reflects widespread disappointment over the recently announced interim Taliban government that left out women and minorities, heralding what could be a return to harsh Taliban practices during their 1996-2001 rule.
The Taliban have promised an inclusive government and a more moderate rule than during their previous rule. But many Afghans, especially women, are deeply skeptical and fear a roll-back of rights gained over the last two decades.
Since their sweep into power last month and the departure of the last U.S. troops after 20 years of occupation, the Taliban have broken up several protests by women and their supporters demanding equal rights from the new rulers.
On Saturday, girls were excluded from returning to secondary school in Afghanistan, after the country’s new Taliban rulers ordered only boys and male teachers back to the classroom.
The diktat from the education ministry was the latest move from the new government to threaten women’s rights.
“All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions,” a statement said ahead of classes resuming Saturday.
The statement, issued late Friday, made no mention of women teachers or girl pupils.
Secondary schools, with students typically between the ages of 13 and 18, are often segregated by sex in Afghanistan. During the Covid-19 pandemic, they have faced repeated closures and have been shut since the Taliban seized power.
“It is critical that all girls, including older girls, are able to resume their education without any further delays. For that, we need female teachers to resume teaching,” the UN’s children’s agency UNICEF said.