American delegation pressures Taliban in Doha over women's rights

(Patria) - American officials met with Taliban representatives in Doha, where they condemned the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan, especially for women and girls, according to a State Department statement.

The American delegation at the talks in the Qatari capital on Sunday “expressed deep concern over the humanitarian crisis and the need to continue supporting humanitarian organizations and UN bodies that provide assistance in accordance with humanitarian principles” in Afghanistan, the statement said.

Those present, including U.S. Special Representative Thomas West and Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights Rina Amiri, as well as Karen Decker, head of the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, also expressed “serious concern over detentions, media crackdowns, and restrictions on religious practice,” AFP reported.

The statement did not identify the Taliban representatives who attended the talks, describing them only as “senior” and “technocratic professionals.”
Since returning to power in August 2021, they have banned girls and women from attending high school and university, visiting parks, fairs, and gyms, and ordered them to cover up in public. Women have largely been barred from working for the UN or non-governmental organizations, and thousands have been fired from government jobs or paid to stay home.

Earlier this month, Taliban authorities closed one of the last remaining areas of work and socialization open to women under their rule: beauty salons.