The United States on Wednesday imposed visa restrictions against members and former members of the Taliban government for its crackdown on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.
U.S. State Department Secretary Antony Blinken said he has «taken steps to impose additional visa restrictions on certain current and former Taliban members, members of non-state security groups, and others responsible for repression against women».
Blinken has referred to the Taliban’s measures prohibiting women’s access to universities, as well as vetoing the work of NGOs as limiting women’s participation in Afghan society and economies.
«Through these decisions, the Taliban have once again shown their disregard for the welfare of the Afghan people,» the secretary of state said, according to a statement from his cabinet.
He remarked that «the Taliban’s actions have forced more than one million Afghan school-age girls and young women out of the classroom, in addition to a multitude of women out of universities and countless Afghan women out of the workforce.»
«These numbers will only grow as time goes on, worsening the country’s already severe economic and humanitarian crises,» he lamented, while condemning «in the strongest terms the actions of the Taliban.»
For this reason, he reiterated US support for the Afghan people, pledging «to do everything possible to promote respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans».
«Quality, safe and inclusive education for women and girls and participation in the workforce are essential to growing and strengthening economies, reducing inequality and fostering stability,» Blinken emphasized.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
