NEW YORK — Nargis Nehan, Afghanistan’s former minister of mines, said on Thursday that the Taliban have reversed decades of progress in just three years, imprisoning women in their homes and brainwashing young boys with their religious ideology.
Speaking at a side event of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, Nehan painted a grim picture of life under Taliban rule.
“In just three years, the Taliban have taken our country decades backwards, she said. “Women have been completely wiped out from society. Young girls who protest for their rights are arrested, tortured, and in some cases, subjected to sexual violence or even killed.”
She also highlighted the dire economic situation, noting that Afghanistan is facing an unprecedented rise in poverty.
“The country’s economy is in free fall,” she said. “The recent halt in U.S. aid is yet another shock for the country.”
The event, titled “From Afghanistan to New York: Afghan Women Calling for Action,” brought together activists and policymakers to discuss the worsening human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly for women.
