CANBERRA, Australia — Stephanie Copus Campbell, Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, met with officials from U.N. Women for Afghanistan to address the worsening challenges facing Afghan women and children under Taliban rule, Australia for Afghanistan said.
The discussions focused on the “sweeping human rights and humanitarian challenges facing women and children in Afghanistan,” the organization said on X on Monday.
In a separate event hosted by Australia’s embassy for Afghanistan, Campbell spoke with Afghan students about gender equality, education, and expanding opportunities for young people, emphasizing the importance of empowering the next generation of Afghans.
The meeting comes as the Taliban continue to impose increasingly severe restrictions on Afghan women and girls. Most recently, the Taliban banned women from studying at medical institutes, a move that has drawn widespread international condemnation.
Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong, criticized the ban, stating it eliminates one of the few remaining educational and employment opportunities for Afghan women and jeopardizes lives.
“This order underscores the importance of Australia’s work to hold Afghanistan to account under CEDAW,” Ms. Wong said, referencing the U.N. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
The Taliban’s policies have sharply curtailed women’s access to education, employment, and public life since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, sparking global outrage and calls for accountability.
