Afghanistan’s supreme leader said on Sunday that women living in the country have been rescued from “oppression” by the Taliban government and their status as “free and dignified human beings” restored.
• Read also: Man executed in public in Afghanistan
• Read also: Afghan women’s ‘apartheid’ an international crime, says UN expert
• Read also: Afghanistan: Mosque bombing leaves 11 dead and several injured
In a statement on the occasion of Eid al-Adha, which begins on Wednesday, Hibatullah Akhundzada, whose public appearances are very rare and who manages the country by decree from Kandahar (south), cradle of the Taliban, affirmed that steps have been taken to ensure women “a comfortable and prosperous life in accordance with Sharia” (Islamic law).
Last week, the United Nations said it was worried about the “gender apartheid” put in place by the Taliban government, which has stepped up draconian measures against women.
Since their return to power in August 2021, they have notably been excluded from most secondary schools, universities and public administrations, and no longer have the right to work with international NGOs, except in certain sectors. .
Mr. Akhundzada assured that “necessary measures have been taken to improve the situation of women, who constitute half of society”.
“All institutions have been obligated to assist women in asserting their rights in marriage, inheritance and other rights,” the statement said.
The paramount chief said a six-point decree issued in December 2021 guaranteed women’s rights, including banning forced marriages and guaranteeing the right to inheritance and divorce.
In a report presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council last week, Richard Bennett, special rapporteur for Afghanistan, described the situation of women and girls in the country “as one of the worst in world”.
“Serious, systematic and institutionalized discrimination against women and girls is at the heart of Taliban ideology and power,” Bennett said.
Making very few public appearances, Mr. Akhundzada publishes messages on the occasion of Muslim holidays.
“At the national level, the independence of Afghanistan has been restored once again,” he said.
He hailed the country’s economic resilience, efforts to eradicate poppy cultivation and improved national security.
“It is our common responsibility to protect and serve our Islamic system”, he recalled, believing that it is “the result of the sacrifices of thousands of mujahideen”.