Actress Meryl Streep spoke out in defense of Afghan women at the UN General Assembly
She said a cat or a squirrel that can “feel the sun on its face” has more freedom than Afghan women under Taliban law.
Today in Kabul, a cat has more freedom than a woman. A cat can go to her front awning and feel the sun on her face. She can chase a squirrel in the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because public parks are closed to women and girls, Streep said.
She called on the international community to intervene in the situation:
If the international community unites, it can influence change in Afghanistan and stop the slow strangulation of half the population.
Recall that in recent months the Taliban have introduced a series of strict laws: women are forbidden to read the Koran in public, look at men who are not members of their family, or go out without covering their faces. In addition, girls are not allowed to attend school after the sixth grade, speak in public, or read or sing loudly even at home.
In the summer of 2023, the Taliban intended to close all women’s hairdressing and beauty salons in Afghanistan, and in August of this year, several Afghan women held protests to mark the third anniversary of the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan.
Most of these protests are anonymous or take place outside the country to avoid the Taliban being punished for their resistance.
The Taliban seized power for the second time in August 2021 as US-led forces retreated after 20 years of war. The UN is seeking a unified global approach to combat the Taliban, which has brutally violated women’s rights.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.