Joint Statement of 24 Countries in Support of Women in Afghanistan

Joint Statement of 24 Countries in Support of Afghan Women

In a joint statement on the occasion of International Women’s Day, the foreign ministers of 24 countries called on the Taliban to lift restrictions on the employment and education of women and girls in Afghanistan.

This joint statement was released by the foreign ministers of Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the High Representative of the European Union.

In the statement, the foreign ministers stated, “On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2023, we collectively draw attention to the situation in Afghanistan, which has witnessed one of the most severe setbacks in women’s and girls’ human rights in the past year and a half.”