UN will continue to defend rights of women, girls in Afghanistan, assures Antonio Guterres

The United Nations (UN) has said that it is not only “staying and delivering” in war-ravaged Afghanistan but would defend the rights of women and girls. In a tweet on Saturday, 23 October, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the agency would continue to promote and defend the rights of females in the country and the officials “will not stop” until girls can return to school in Afghanistan. The UN head also called for women to return to their jobs and participation in public life.

Guterres’ tweet came just days after he addressed the UN Security Council Open Debate on Women, Peace and Security on Thursday, 21 October. During his speech, the UN chief had echoed the same remarks while adding that the agency will uphold the rights of women and girls with engagements with “Taliban de facto authorities.” The UN chief also noted previously, “And in Afghanistan, girls and women are seeing a rapid reversal of the rights they achieved in recent decades – including their right to a seat in the classroom.”  

The  UN Secretary-General said, “We need to fight back – and turn the clock forward – for every woman and girl. This commitment is at the heart of my report on Our Common Agenda, as well as my Call to Action on Human Rights. We want to fast-track women’s full and equal participation in every aspect of life.”

“This includes across peace processes and political transitions. Last year, women represented only 23 per cent of delegates in peace processes led or co-led by the United Nations. Even getting to this point required innovation, persistence and leadership. Sometimes I would say stubbornness. But we’re working to accelerate these gains,” he added.

UNDP announced “people’s economy” fund 

As UN continues to assist the war-torn country, it said on 21 October that in a bid to help vulnerable Afghans, the UN development programme (UNDP) has announced the launch of a “people’s economy” fund to provide access to cash to people in need. The agency said in a release that UNDP chief, Achim Steiner, told journalists in Geneva, “The fund will tap into donations frozen since the Taliban takeover in August. Germany has already pledged $58 million of the more than $660 million required over the next 12 months.”

(IMAGE: AP)