By Anjali Sharma
UNITED NATIONS – Special Representative of UN Women in Afghanistan Susan Ferguson on Thursday addressed the wide range of erosion of human rights for women in the country at a press conference in New York ahead of the 4 years of the Taliban rule.
She said dozens of permanent decrees have curtailed women’s and girls’ rights and dignity.
Ms. Ferguson said “The most severe women’s rights crisis in the world is being normalized.”
She noted that last year’s “morality law” crystallized the systematic erasure of women from public life, codifying long-standing social norms.
Girls banned from schools and most jobs, women “continue to feel and often are unsafe in public places, in their communities or families, and are unable to reap the benefits of an increase in the overall security situation since the takeover,” Ms. Ferguson stressed.
She reported that in 2025, 1.7 million Afghans have returned, but women among them cannot interact with male aid workers to access education, healthcare or economic support.
Women-run organizations are essential, providing healthcare, psychosocial services and protection from violence.
In March it was reported across civil society organizations that funding cuts have meant layoffs for 50 per cent of women staffers, and over one-third of these organizations warned they may have to scale back or close.
These organizations are trying to keep going but they urgently need more financial assistance, she said.
Ms. Ferguson concluded that “We must keep investing in their NGOs, their businesses and their voice in international dialogues.”
