During the “Empowering Afghan Women’s Economic Initiative” meeting, the U.S. Secretary of State criticized the restrictions on Afghan women, stating that these imposed prohibitions go against the desires of the people of Afghanistan.
Blinken stated that despite these constraints, Afghan women and girls have a strong desire for education and employment. The meeting, held on Tuesday, February 27th, in Washington, was attended by several officials from the U.S. Department of State, including Rina Amiri, the U.S. Special Representative for Afghan Women’s Affairs, and some Afghan women activists at the ministry’s headquarters.
Mr. Blinken criticized the Taliban’s oppressive policies towards Afghan women at this meeting, highlighting that 85% of the Afghan population opposes Taliban restrictions against women and girls and demands equal access to education.
The U.S. Secretary of State deemed the exclusion of women from Afghanistan’s economy detrimental to the country and considered the Taliban’s actions as impediments to Afghanistan’s sustainable development.
He added that over 70 Asian, European, and American countries have jointly called for meaningful steps to be taken for women.
This senior American official emphasized that the U.S. and other countries support the rights of Afghan women and have launched the Women’s Empowerment Initiative program within the framework of three goals. Online education for Afghan women and girls, awarding scholarships, and networking for Afghan women to connect with entrepreneurs are among the programs being implemented for women’s economic empowerment.
According to Blinken, this coalition supports Afghan women to not only create employment opportunities but also to establish and develop their own businesses and trade.
Co-hosted by the US Department of State and Boston University, the AWER Summit represents a collaborative effort to convene diverse stakeholders. From the private sector to civil society, academia, and governments, participants will converge to discuss and strategize the latest initiatives aimed at bolstering economic resilience for Afghan women.
With its mission to catalyze innovative and scalable collaborations, AWER embodies a forward-looking approach to address the multifaceted challenges faced by Afghan women.
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