'Cats freer than Afghan women': Meryl Streep calls for global action at UN

Hollywood actor Meryl Streep's remarks come in the wake of the Taliban's latest set of restrictive laws, which were introduced in late August

In a powerful address on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Hollywood actress Meryl Streep highlighted the dire situation for women in Afghanistan, drawing a sharp comparison to the freedoms enjoyed by animals. “A cat, or a squirrel for that matter, has more freedom than women in Afghanistan,” Streep said, urging the global community to intervene.

Streep’s comments come in the wake of the Taliban’s latest restrictive laws, introduced in late August. These draconian measures include prohibiting women from publicly reciting the Quran, making eye contact with men outside their families, and stepping outside without a face covering.

“Today in Kabul, a female cat has more freedom than a woman,” Streep said, during an event focused on women’s rights in Afghanistan. “A cat may sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls.”

Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan after the United States’ withdrawal in August 2021, the regime has imposed severe restrictions on women’s rights. Initially, these laws, including a ban on girls’ education beyond sixth grade, were inconsistently enforced in urban areas. However, the situation has worsened, with the Taliban now cracking down more aggressively. According to reports, the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has intensified patrols at bus stops and shopping centres, policing women for dress-code violations and public behaviour.

“The international community, as a whole, if it came together, could effect change in Afghanistan and stop the slow suffocation of … half the population,” Streep said.

Despite the Taliban’s claim that these restrictions are designed to protect women, the regime’s actions have faced growing criticism. In addition to targeting women, recent reports suggest that men are also being monitored, with the morality police questioning those absent from mosque attendance or failing to grow a beard.

Afghanistan, once a progressive nation for women’s rights, granted women the right to vote in 1919, a year before the United States. The country opened its first schools for girls in 1921 and abolished strict gender segregation and veiling practices by 1950. However, decades of conflict and the rise of the Taliban have reversed much of this progress, according to Amnesty International, leaving Afghan women to face severe restrictions on their freedoms and rights today.