Denmark’s UN Representative: Afghan Women Must Have Full and Equal Participation in Public Life and Decision-Making

Markus Lassen, speaking at the meeting focused on Afghanistan, stated that the Taliban have systematically erased women and girls from society and subjected them to harassment.

She added: “For Denmark, it is crucial that the human rights situation, particularly women’s rights, be reflected, and the Security Council’s message is clear. The Security Council has shown with one voice that the international community has not forgotten the people of Afghanistan.”

Denmark’s representative warned that the continuation of the Taliban’s oppressive policies, including the systematic exclusion of women from social spheres, will exacerbate Afghanistan’s humanitarian and economic crisis. She stressed: “Women, who play an undeniable role in Afghan society, must have full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in all stages of public life and decision-making.”

It is worth noting that this was the second UN Security Council meeting in the past week focused on Afghanistan. During the meeting, the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) was extended for another year.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, women and girls have faced widespread deprivation of their rights to education, work, and social participation.