Persecution of Women's Rights Advocates
'Palbaple' Fear of 'Brutal and Systemic Repression' of Women Grows
The UN News article "'Palpable' Fear of 'Brutal and Systemic Repression' of Women Grows" can be used to support the factual claims and legal arguments made by the applicant. The following are relevant excerpts, as well as the link to the entire article.
---------
"Michelle Bachelet informed a high-level event on safeguarding 20 years of international engagement in Afghanistan, that women have been “progressively excluded from the public sphere”, prohibited from appearing without a male guardian and face increasing restrictions on their right to work." Page 1
“The Ministry that once promoted women's rights has been disbanded, and its premises taken over by a Ministry for the propagation of Virtue and the prevention of Vice – an all-male office that will apply guidelines on appropriate dress and behaviour” the human rights chief said." Page 1
"Moreover, Taliban representatives have dismantled many other former government offices for women’s affairs, gaining access to sensitive files, threatening staff, and accusing women's civil society groups of spreading “anti-Islamic” ideas. “There is real and palpable fear among Afghan women of a return to the Taliban's brutal and systemic repression of women and girls during the 1990s”, said the High Commissioner." Page 2