The State Department on Wednesday issued a joint statement with dozens of other countries asking the Taliban to “guarantee” the protection of women in Afghanistan after the terrorist group took over the country over the weekend.
“We are deeply worried about Afghan women and girls, their rights to education, work and freedom of movement. We call on those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan to guarantee their protection,” the statement read.
“Afghan women and girls, as all Afghan people, deserve to live in safety, security and dignity. Any form of discrimination and abuse should be prevented. We in the international community stand ready to assist them with humanitarian aid and support, to ensure that their voices can be heard.”
The statement was signed by 46 other countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, and the European Union.
“We will monitor closely how any future government ensures rights and freedoms that have become an integral part of the life of women and girls in Afghanistan during the last twenty years,” the countries said.
The statement came after photos emerged on Tuesday showing women and children in Afghanistan bloodied and unconscious after they became victims of Taliban attacks.
Between 1996 to 2001 when the Taliban controlled Afghanistan, they enforced their brutal interpretation of Sharia law, barring women and girls from receiving an education and working jobs, and requiring that women wear a burqa and be accompanied by a male relative when in public. Women who failed to comply were publicly whipped or executed.
This time around, the Taliban has claimed that it will be more tolerant and respect “women’s rights,” within Sharia law. However, a photo from this week showed that Taliban fighters shot and killed a woman in the Takhar province for going outside without a burqa. The photo showed the woman lying in a pool of blood with her loved ones huddled around her.
Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley warned Americans on Wednesday not to believe the Taliban’s promises.
“The Taliban makes false promises of being ‘inclusive’ and upholding women’s rights, while at the same time beating protesters and firing into crowds of civilians,” Haley wrote in a tweet.
“Don’t be fooled, they are [a] brutal terrorist organization,” she said.
As of Tuesday, up to 15,000 Americans were still trapped in Afghanistan. The State Department said Tuesday that the U.S. government “cannot ensure safe passage” to Kabul’s international airport for U.S. citizens still trapped in the country and hoping to catch an evacuation flight.
Over the last several weeks, the terrorist group advanced across the country at a breakneck pace that appeared to stun U.S. officials. President Joe Biden authorized a total of 7,000 troops to handle the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan as the U.S. completes its withdrawal of all U.S. troops from the country, marking the end of America’s 20-year war in Afghanistan.