Antony Blinken helps launch economic help for Afghan women

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken helped launch the Alliance for Afghan Women's Economic Resilience while in New York attending the United Nations General Assembly.

"Women, no matter where they live, should have equal rights in every facet of their lives," said Blinken.

"Equal opportunities to study, to work. Equal access to financial resources. And they should enjoy the same freedoms as everyone else to travel, to express themselves, to choose their own paths. This should be in the year 2022, self-evident to everyone on this planet. But of course it's not. And we have to fight for it. We have to struggle for it every single day."

After the Taliban captured the capital of Aghanistan, Kabul, in August 2021 and ousted the internationally backed government, the Taliban presented themselves as having moderated since their first time in power, in the 1990s.

Initially, Taliban officials spoke of allowing women to continue to work and girls to continue their education.

Instead, they formed an all-male government stacked with veterans of their hard-line rule that has banned girls from attending school from seventh grade, imposed all-covering dress that leaves only the eyes visible and restricted women's access to work.

The Taliban seized Kabul as U.S. and NATO forces were withdrawing from Afghanistan, ending a nearly 20-year war against the Taliban's insurgency.

The world has refused to recognize the Taliban's rule, demanding it respect human rights and show tolerance for other groups.

The U.S. and its allies have cut off billions in development funds that kept the government afloat, as well as froze billions in Afghan national assets.

"Today in partnership with Boston University. We are announcing our newest initiative, the Alliance for Afghan Women's Economic Resilience," said Blinken. "

"I don't want to sugarcoat it. This is going to be hard given the severe restraints imposed by the Taliban. But we are determined to safely deliver this support to women in Afghanistan."

Image: AP