United Nations – June 2025 – In a forceful address to the UN Security Council, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of UN Women, condemned the extreme and worsening oppression faced by women and girls in Afghanistan, calling the situation “utterly unacceptable.” Her remarks come as concerns intensify over the plight of approximately 20 million Afghan women who are systematically being stripped of their basic human rights.
Bahous described a heartbreaking reality in which women are being erased from public life. They are barred from education, excluded from the workforce, and denied the freedom to move independently — all because of their gender. This institutionalized discrimination, she said, represents one of the most severe gender-based crises in the world today.
Yet despite these harsh restrictions, Bahous offered a glimmer of hope by praising the unbroken spirit of Afghan women. “They have not given up,” she said, highlighting their ongoing resistance and bravery in the face of relentless repression.
Calling for urgent and sustained international response, Bahous cautioned against apathy. “We must not avert our gaze. We must not become numb to their suffering,” she stated, urging global leaders to maintain focus and pressure on the Taliban regime. She emphasized that the international community has a moral obligation to speak out and act.
Her powerful appeal served as a reminder that silence in the face of injustice perpetuates oppression. With the world facing numerous geopolitical crises, Bahous’s speech re-centered attention on the enduring struggle of Afghan women — a struggle that demands both recognition and response from the global stage.