Four countries have initiated legal proceedings against the Taliban for alleged violations of a UN convention on women's rights. Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands announced their action during the UN General Assembly in New York, condemning the Taliban's restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. "We condemn the gross and systematic human rights violations and abuses in Afghanistan, particularly the gender-based discrimination against women and girls," the countries stated.
Despite claiming to govern more moderately since their 2021 takeover, the Taliban have severely curtailed the rights of women and girls. Girls are barred from education beyond sixth grade, as well as from many public spaces and most jobs. In August, rules were implemented banning women from showing their faces in public and prohibiting them from raising their voices in public. Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban's deputy spokesman, dismissed these accusations as "an attempt to spread propaganda" and denied any discrimination.
Human Rights Watch researcher Fereshta Abbasi urged greater international support for the legal action and called for the involvement of Afghan women in the process. Over 20 countries have expressed backing for the initiative, emphasizing that Afghanistan's non-compliance with human rights obligations hampers the normalization of relations. The Taliban continue to reject criticism, asserting that their policies align with Islamic law. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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