Wrapping up a pivotal trip to Afghanistan, UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo departed Kabul on Sunday after intensive talks aimed at easing the stranglehold on women’s freedoms. Her engagements spanned de facto governors, the diplomatic corps, women’s advocates, civil society voices, and UN’s own Afghan women workers.
Face-to-face with Taliban figures, she articulated profound worries over prohibitions against female UN personnel alongside sweeping curbs on girls’ schooling, job opportunities, and civic involvement. Immediate reversal was her clarion call, stressing their counterproductive impact.
She exhorted full engagement in the Doha framework and adherence to global duties for reentry into world forums. Dialogue commitment was reaffirmed by the authorities.
Unfettered humanitarian corridors across frontiers were another priority; DiCarlo solicited active support to sustain life-saving aid flows.
Separate huddles with women and societal reps delved into rights erosions, while she lauded UN Afghan women’s indispensable contributions, pledging unwavering support.
Taliban rule has entrenched gender apartheid: women purged from bureaucracy, barred from most NGO/UN posts save selective medical roles, mobility chained to mahram escorts, veils compulsory, recreational sites sealed off, journalism decimated. As DiCarlo returns, her advocacy fuels momentum for accountability, reminding the world that Afghanistan’s isolation hinges on women’s emancipation.