Men-only delegations to Taliban spark global anger

Kabul, Wednesday

Global powers and aid groups that have loudly demanded an inclusive Afghanistan under the Taliban are facing criticism for sending all-male delegations to Kabul to meet the hard-line group.

Since seizing power in August, the Taliban has excluded women from its caretaker government and put restrictions on work and education, drawing condemnation from the outside world.

But female representation has been little better among some governments and aid groups in their meetings in the capital with Afghanistan’s new rulers, who are seeking international recognition.

“Senior women in your teams should be leading your interactions with the Taliban. Do not exclude women,” said Shaharzad Akbar, the exiled head of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.

Lead by example

In a tweet addressing governments and aid agencies, she called on them to “not normalise Taliban’s erasure of women”.

Heather Barr from Human Rights Watch created a list, under the hashtag “sausageparty”, of pictures posted by the Taliban of their meetings with delegations in Kabul.

“Foreign countries and especially aid organisations should be leading by example,” Barr said.

“No one should let the Taliban think that this kind of men-only world that it is creating is normal.”

The Taliban has posted dozens of photos on social media of closed-door meetings with groups of foreign representatives, showing no woman.

Lavish room

Among the many meetings highlighted was one earlier this month between British envoy Simon Gass and the Taliban’s interim deputy prime ministers Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi, in a lavish room.

An official said it was a coincidence that the special envoy and head of mission were men.

Pakistan, which has advised the Taliban on how to win international backing, also posted pictures and video of an all-male group accompanying the foreign minister and intelligence chief to Kabul.

Fawzia Koofi, one of the negotiators in failed peace talks between the then Afghan government and the Taliban last year in Doha, voiced her anger.

Same pattern

“As world leaders, when they talk about women’s rights, they also need to act. They need to show that they believe in it, that it is not just a political statement,” she said.

Even more concerning, Barr said, are the numerous pictures of meetings between the Taliban and humanitarian organisations that seem to follow the same pattern.

Contacted, the agencies said they strive to include women in meetings with the Taliban.

But several acknowledged holding at least one meeting with the group that included no women.

The International Committee of the Red Cross, Unicef and Doctors Without Borders explained that on the photographed occasion, they had only sent small delegations of top leaders, who happened to be men.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said a last-minute scheduling change had meant a woman staff member due to take part had been unable to attend, turning one meeting into an all-male event.

(AFP)