When award-winning actress Meryl Streep spoke on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly about cats, squirrels and birds, she wasn’t making a point about hunters and prey.
She was comparing all three with women and girls in Afghanistan – and pointing out that the animals have more rights.
“A cat may feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park… A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not, and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary,” Streep said on Monday. “This is a suppression of the natural law. This is odd.”
As Streep’s words ricocheted around social media, four countries stepped forward to announce “unprecedented” action against the ruling Taliban for its “systematic oppression” of women and girls.
Germany, Australia, Canada and the Netherlands on Thursday accused the hardline Islamist group of violating the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
The convention was ratified by the previous Afghan government in 2003, well before the Taliban re-seized power three years ago after the withdrawal of the United States and its allies following a 20-year war.
“We know that women and girls of Afghanistan are effectively being erased from public life by the various edicts the Taliban have issued,” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong told reporters in New York.
“The steps we are taking with Germany, Canada and the Netherlands are unprecedented.”
Taliban security personnel stand guard as a burqa-clad woman walks through a market in Baharak district of Badakhshan province, Afghanistan on February 26, 2024.
Wail Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images/File
Tightening restrictions
Since taking power, the Taliban has gradually tightened restrictions on women and girls.
They are no longer allowed to work or study beyond grade 6. Their bodies must be fully covered, and they are forbidden to look at men they are not related to by blood or marriage and vice versa.
The Taliban’s latest edicts last month, referred to by Streep, include the demand for women and girls to remain silent in public.
According to the Taliban’s own strict interpretation of Islam, a woman’s voice is deemed intimate and so should not be heard singing, reciting, or reading out loud.
This systematic oppression of women and girls, also alleged by the UN, has fueled a mental health crisis in Afghanistan’s female population.
Depression among women and girls is rising, according to health experts and rights activists – leading to a surge in suicide and suicide attempts.
Human Rights Watch says the legal move by the four Western nations could lead to proceedings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
As a signatory to CEDAW, Afghanistan is expected to respond to the complaint.
However, the document was signed by the previous government, and so far, the Taliban has shown no sign of changing its stance despite international condemnation.
In a statement Thursday, a Taliban spokesman said it was “absurd” to accuse Afghanistan’s leaders of gender discrimination.
“Human rights are protected in Afghanistan and no one is discriminated,” said Hamdullah Fitrat Fitrat.
“Unfortunately, an attempt is being made to spread propaganda against Afghanistan through the mouths of some women and make the situation look wrong.”
Meryl Streep attends a press conference following an event on "The Inclusion of Women in the Future of Afghanistan," on September 23, 2024, at the United Nations headquarters.
Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP
