Chris Fitzgerald

Opinion | World leaders choosing closer Taliban ties betray Afghan women

The world had a chance in Doha to stand up to the Taliban, but its failure to do so left Afghanistan’s rulers stronger than ever

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Supporters of the Independent Coalition of Afghan Women’s Protest Movement hold placards during a protest to demand rights of Afghan women from Taliban government in Islamabad, Pakistan, on June 10. Women and civil society groups were barred from the latest UN-backed summit with the Taliban, raising fears that world leaders were ready to abandon their commitment to Afghan women for closer ties with the Taliban. Photo: EPA-EFE

Chris Fitzgerald

Published: 7:30pm, 4 Jul 2024

The world descended on Doha last weekend for a two-day meeting to decide the future of Afghanistan and the Taliban’s role in this future. Delegates from 25 countries attended the United Nations-led summit.

The Taliban arrived in Doha confident the international community is starting to take it seriously after retaking power almost three years ago. Leaving Doha, there is now a view in Kabul that official recognition is only a matter of time.

The Taliban has good reason to be emboldened. In a significant win for the group, the UN decided to exclude women and civil society groups from the summit, a key demand for Taliban delegates to attend. This gave the Taliban a seat at the table after it was excluded from the first meeting in May 2023. The group also refused to take part in the second in February after a demand to uninvite women and civil society groups was denied.

The move has been slammed by human rights groups and even UN representatives. UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan Richard Bennett condemned the decision to appease the Taliban at the expense of women’s rights.

Bennett has a point. While the UN has long demanded the Taliban respect women’s rights, the group continues to severely repress the rights of women in Afghanistan, including the denial of education, employment and freedom of movement.

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Taliban bans women from visiting popular national park in Afghanistan

The decision has enabled the Taliban to control the discussion in Doha. The group does not want to talk about women, labelling it an internal matter and urging delegates to look past its restrictive policies. Instead, it wants to focus on ending sanctions, increasing trade relationships and most importantly being recognised by the international community.