The outgoing executive director of the United Nations Agency for Women’s Equality and Empowerment, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, says the Afghanistan women are scared of what might happen to them and that they are hoping and praying that the worst doesn’t happen to them.
In a tweet on her last day in the position, Mlambo-Ngcuka called on the world to spare a thought for the women and girls in that country, as the Taliban’s resurgence became a swift reality over the last few days.
Mlambo-Ngcuka was also cautiously optimistic after the Taliban vowed to respect women’s rights and invited women to join its future government.
“We welcome the message, all we want to do as the UN and UN Women is to serve the people and the women of Afghanistan. In the last 20 years, the women of Afghanistan have worked very hard for what they have…” Mlambo-Ngcuka says.
“Going to school was a big shift in Afghanistan. Women are leading governments, they are leading in the private sector, activists, they are human rights defenders and right now they are scared about what could happen to them. We are hoping and praying that the worst will not happen but it’s difficult to imagine what faces the people and the women of Afghanistan. They have just asked us to stay there and we are staying and not going,” she added.
Please spare a thought for the people women and girls of Afghanistan. A tragedy unfolds in front of our eyes.
— Phumzile Mlambo (@phumzileunwomen) August 15, 2021
I am deeply concerned by accounts of human rights violations against the women and girls of Afghanistan who fear a return to the darkest days.
They are looking to the international community for support.
We must not let them down.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) August 17, 2021
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights says the fear instilled in a significant portion of the Afghanistan population is profound given the history of the Taliban in that country.
Thousands of Afghans fearing for their lives and future, descended on Kabul airport over the last few days in the hopes of being evacuated from the country by the United States which has sent some 6 000 troops to assist with transfers while securing the area.
This as the Taliban declared an amnesty for all in Afghanistan and encouraged women to join their government.
In conversation with Mlambo-Ngcuka the situation in Afghanistan:
Uganda agrees to temporarily take in refugees from Afghanistan
Meanwhile, Uganda has agreed to a request from the United States to temporarily take in 2 000 refugees from Afghanistan fleeing after the Taliban takeover. The East African nation has long experience of receiving people escaping conflict and currently hosts about 1.4 million refugees, mostly from South Sudan. It was unclear when the refugees will start arriving.
