UN Praises Participation Afghan Women Athletes at Paris Olympics and Calls for More Support for them

The letter states that international sports organizations should challenge the Taliban's "oppressive" policies and support Afghan women athletes wherever they are. Experts urged international sports bodies to avoid any actions that could be seen as complicity with the Taliban's "discriminatory and illegal" policies.

While praising the "gender-balanced composition" of the Afghan team at the Paris Olympics as a positive development, they noted that the committee needs to take further actions. The UN experts emphasized that the Taliban have prohibited Afghan women and girls from participating in all sports for nearly three years, which is an unacceptable violation of their rights. The letter describes this ban as part of the Taliban's entrenched system of gender discrimination and oppression, which may constitute a crime against humanity.

It is further stated that despite this ban, Afghan women athletes in exile are competing as part of the Afghan team and the refugee team at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, due to the the positive intervention of the IOC.

The UN experts stated: "It is essential that Afghanistan's inspiring and talented female athletes are seen at the pinnacle of sports in Paris and other competitions, especially when they have been excluded from public life in their own country."

The letter reminds sports organizations of their responsibilities under the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Olympic Charter, and expresses concern that some IOC members may be unable or unwilling to fulfill their organizational commitments regarding equal and non-discriminatory participation for women and girls.

This is while that seven Afghan women athletes, all of them are in exile, participated in the Paris 2024 Olympics—three in the Afghan team and four in the refugee team.

The Afghan Olympic team for Paris consists of three male and three female athletes, formed by the IOC in consultation with former officials of the Afghan Olympic Committee. The Taliban have announced that they do not recognize the female member of this team and consider only the three male athletes as representatives of Afghanistan.