PARIS — President Emmanuel Macron of France has stated that women and girls in Afghanistan should remain hopeful despite challenges that have affected them after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
In an interview with Radio Azadi, Macron expressed his concerns, noting that the American decision to leave Afghanistan in the summer of 2021 profoundly affected the country’s female population.
“I do remember summer 2021 when the decision of withdrawal was taken by the U.S., and we did our best to have refugees and to protect people after this decision and the consequences on Afghanistan. And I know how much ladies and girls are affected on a daily basis by what is decided, and I know how much resilient your people are. I just want to convey the message to girls and women that hope is in front of them,” Macron said.
Since the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, they have stripped women and girls of their basic rights and forced many female employees in government and private sectors to stay home. The Taliban have issued multiple decrees banning girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade and closing universities to female students.
The United Nations’ Women’s Division and the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan have described the situation of women under the Taliban’s stringent policies as “gender apartheid.”
