The international community should “hold the Taliban accountable” for their systematic discrimination against “millions of Afghan women and girls”, Amnesty International said, adding that the Islamist , which came to power last year, has failed to protect and safeguard the rights of women.

"Millions of women and girls have been systematically discriminated against since the Taliban became the de-facto authorities," the rights organization said on Monday, terming the response of the global community on recent restrictions on Afghan women “disappointing.”

Since returning to power in August last year, the Taliban has imposed severe restrictions, curtailing the rights and freedom of women, including banning education for girls above grade 5.

Most recently, the group ordered female Afghan TV presenters to cover their faces while hosting programs on television. Prior to this, Afghan women were ordered to cover their faces with a long black burqa in public spaces. 

Heather Barr, director of the Women's Rights Division at Human Rights Watch (HRW), said “I have to say that the international community’s response both over the past two weeks and over the last nine months has been very disappointing.”

Meanwhile, in a symbolic protest against the Taliban’s recent order, male journalists of several Afghan television networks decided to conduct their programs with their faces covered with face masks.

“Women journalists are just the latest casualties in what has become the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world. But the Taliban are not immovable, and coordinated pressure has the potential to impact their decisions,” HRW said in its recent report.

“Donors and governments owe it to Afghan women and girls to do more to defend their rights,” the report added.

Since August last year, when the Taliban returned to power, thousands of women working in the country’s private and government sectors were forced out of their jobs as the new regime imposed restrictions. 

Over 80,000 school girls haven’t yet returned to their schools.

(SAM)