UAE and US issue joint statement in support of Afghan women

The UAE has joined the US in a strong statement reiterating their support of women and girls in Afghanistan.
The nations agreed on the need for collective support and resources to improve the lives of Afghan women and children in the wake of a morality law introduced in the country this week.
The law, introduced on Wednesday by the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice, is based on a decree by its supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and will be enforced by its Ministry of Preventing Vice and Promoting Virtue.
It formalises and expands on the increasingly severe restrictions imposed on women and girls since the hardline group seized power three years ago.
In response, Lana Nusseibeh, Assistant Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, welcomed Rina Amiri, US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights, to the UAE to discuss the situation on Friday.
The meeting resulted in the nations reiterating their commitments to supporting the promotion and protection of women’s rights in the country, a statement from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Ms Nusseibeh and Ms Amiri stated these issues were “critical to a durable and economically viable Afghanistan”.
Particular emphasis was placed on the need for support for education, health services, livelihood and entrepreneurship opportunities.
Both sides also discussed the importance of providing humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan through development projects and support for reconstruction.
It comes as Afghan women say they fear the worse is yet to come from the Taliban.
Many of the morality law’s 35 articles mandate more rigorous adherence to rules already in force, such as the requirement for women to cover their bodies and faces.