Ministry Statements & Speeches:
President of Slovakia Zuzana Čaputová and Prime Minister of Iceland Katrín Jakobsdóttir initiated a joint call by women political leaders to current and future power holders in Afghanistan to refrain from violence against women and to uphold and advance the rights of girls and women in Afghanistan.
Following the withdrawal of military forces from Afghanistan, “We will continue to closely follow the developments and listen to the voices of Afghan women and girls,” said women leaders in their call that urges the international community to pay close attention to the situation and rights of those that are currently among the most vulnerable in Afghanistan.
The call has been joined by the Prime Minister of Denmark Mette Frederiksen, the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas, the Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin, the President of Georgia Salome Zourabichvili, the President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Ingrida Šimonytė, the President of Moldova Maia Sandu, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern and the Prime Minister of Norway Erna Solberg.
Text of the call
Joint Call by women leaders to uphold and continue to advance equal rights and opportunities of girls and women in Afghanistan
We are deeply concerned about the current developments in Afghanistan, including the multiple reports on violations of the rights of girls and women in many parts of the country.
We call on current and future power holders in Afghanistan to respect the rights of women and girls, and to refrain from any steps that would impede their rights in areas such as employment, education, access to healthcare, culture or public office. We especially call on the authorities in Afghanistan to prevent every form of violence towards women and girls.
Irrespective of our differences, men and women are equal and their rights are inalienable and incontestable.
We, women leaders, want to reassure Afghan women and girls that we will closely follow the developments in their country, listen to their voices, and continue to support their rights and opportunities.