EU condemns gender-based discrimination by Taliban in Afghanistan

As gender-based discrimination continues to remain prevalent in Afghanistan under the Taliban regime, the European Union (EU) in an official statement has said that the decision of the Taliban to deny education to females and work at NGOs has hampered the delivery of humanitarian aid in the country, TOLOnews reported.

In its official statement, the EU said, "large-scale and systematic gender-based discrimination by the Taliban who, through their discriminatory decision to ban women from working for national and international non-governmental organisations, are impeding the delivery of humanitarian assistance and basic needs support to the Afghan people."

The de facto authorities have restricted women's and girls' freedom of movement since August 15, 2021, preventing girls from attending secondary education, excluding them from the majority of the workforce, and forbidding them from utilising public parks, gyms, and bathrooms.

The statement, which was released by the EU on March 20 underlined the importance of women's participation in the country's affairs and added the EU remains committed to continuing its assistance to alleviate the severe humanitarian and socio-economic crisis.

"Where activities cannot be continued in line with the EU's principled approach, the EU support to those activities will be reconsidered," the statement said.

Moreover, the European Union also raised the issue of terrorism and how it's holding tight on Afghan soil. "Afghanistan should not once again serve as a base for terrorism and violent extremism to other countries, and the EU demands that the Taliban cease all direct and indirect ties with terrorism and reiterates the Taliban's responsibility in combatting terrorism," the statement reads.

However, the Taliban rejected the idea that there were terrorist organisations in Afghanistan.

"There is no group, movement or element, whose existence here anyone can provide evidence for. No one can show a particular area," said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, TOLOnews reported.

Afghanistan remains the country most impacted by terrorism for the fourth consecutive year, despite attacks and deaths falling by 75 per cent and 58 per cent, respectively, terrorism-index" Global Terrorism Index (GTI) reported on Tuesday, according to Afghanistan-based Khaama Press.

As per the FTI, Afghanistan recorded 633 fatalities in 2022, despite terrorism-related deaths declining by 866 in 2022, a 58 per cent improvement over 2021.

"Afghanistan's drop can largely be attributed to the Taliban taking control of the country after the fall of Kabul in August 2021. As the Taliban are now the state actor in much of Afghanistan, their attacks fall outside the scope of the GTI's definition of terrorism," the report said.