Afghan women are 'being erased from existence', activist tells Abu Dhabi peace conference

Mahbouba Seraj pleads for the world not to forget the resurgent Taliban's treatment of women

Mahbouba Seraj said she was 'begging' for the voices of Afghan women to be heard. Ruel Pableo / The National

An Afghan activist has pleaded with the world to help women and girls from being “erased from existence” by the Taliban.

Speaking on the opening day of the International Conference on Women, Peace and Security in Abu Dhabi, journalist Mahbouba Seraj said Afghan women are in desperate need of assistance.

“I sit here with a heavy heart because today I don’t have a country. Today I do not exist for my country,” Seraj said.

“What women are going through today in my beautiful country is unbelievable — the Taliban have crossed the line. They have ignored the existence of women.

Today Muslim men of my country, under the name of Islam, cannot stand to even look at us. We are being erased from existence

Mahbouba Seraj

“Today Muslim men of my country, under the name of Islam, cannot stand to even look at us. We are being erased from existence.”

Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, as many as 700 people have been killed and 1,400 wounded, even though security on the whole has improved, a report released last month by the UN political mission in the country said.

It highlighted how women have been stripped of many of their human rights, barred from secondary education and subjected to restrictions on their movements.

Seraj, who refused to leave the country when the Taliban took power, said she was “begging” for the voices of Afghan women to be heard.

“Why are we being pushed to the brink of extinction? What did we do to the world for them to allow this to happen?” she asked.

“We stood by you when you needed us and now suddenly we are persona non grata?”

Prioritising the Women, Peace and Security agenda

Seraj was one of the speakers in a panel discussion about making peace work for women and the global landscape, which is on the current Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

WPS, which was adopted in 2000 under UN Security Council Resolution 1325, highlights the significance of equal participation of women and their full involvement in all efforts to maintain peace and security in conflict areas around the world, and also in post-conflict construction.

Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE's ambassador to the UN, told the conference that the UAE continues to closely follow the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan and in other countries in the world.

“The UAE has been clear and declaring that the restrictions imposed by the Taliban are in no way consistent with the values of Islam,” she said via a video link.

“In fact, the meaningful and substantive inclusion of women in all aspects of society is a key pillar of our domestic and foreign policy. That is why the UAE has prioritised the WPS agenda during our tenure in the UN Security Council. ”

In March, Ms Nusseibeh urged the Taliban to let girls inside classrooms, saying educating women was “fully compatible” with Islam.

“Religion cannot be used to justify extremist ideology or to excuse discrimination against women and girls,” Ms Nusseibeh said.

“The UAE stands by the women and girls of Afghanistan and as they demand their rights to work, to education and to participate in public life, which is fully compatible with the religion of Islam and with our culture.”

Afghan women under Taliban rule: in pictures

Women wash freshly dyed silk in a factory in Herat province. Whether Afghan girls receive an education under the Taliban is turning into an issue of wealth, young women living under the regime say. AFP

Afghan women walk in a Kandahar market. Even if Afghan girls can receive an education, the likelihood they will be able to put it to any use is low. AFP

An Afghan women weaves silk to make scarfs and other products inside a workshop in the Zandajan district of Herat province. Many Afghan girls fear the longer they stay away from school, the more pressure will build to conform to patriarchal standards and marry. AFP

Burqa-clad women work in a shampoo factory in Kandahar. AFP

Women make flatbread in a factory in Kandahar. AFP

An Afghan woman begs as Taliban fighters stand guard in Kabul. Amnesty International says the Taliban have breached women's and girls' rights to education, work and free movement since they took control of the government. EPA

Afghan women take a selfie at a park in Kabul. The rates of child, early and forced marriage in Afghanistan are increasing under Taliban rule, Amnesty International has said. EPA

Afghan girls paint at a workshop class in Herat. The World Bank estimates that for each year of secondary education, the likelihood of marrying before the age of 18 decreases by five percentage points or more. AFP

Afghan women protest in Kabul. The lives of Afghan women and girls are being destroyed by the Taliban’s crackdown on their human rights, Amnesty has said. AP

An Afghan woman walks in a graveyard in Kabul. EPA

Shgofe, an Afghan newscaster, presents a programme on private channel 1TV in Kabul. Female TV presenters and reporters in Afghanistan continue to appear with their faces covered to comply with a mandate issued by the Taliban. EPA

An Afghan family walk past a market near the Pul-e Khishti Mosque in Kabul. AFP

People at Wazir Akbar Khan Hill in Kabul. Whether Afghan girls receive an education under the Taliban is turning into an issue of wealth, young women living under the regime say. AFP

Women browse through garments and fabrics for sale in a stall at a women's handicraft market in Herat. AFP

Brides wait for the start of a mass wedding in Kabul. Dozens of Afghan women, concealed in thick green shawls, were married off in an austere ceremony attended by hundreds of guests and gun-toting Taliban fighters. AFP