Islamabad: US Special Representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, announced on Monday he would be visiting Pakistan, Germany, and Switzerland from January 20 to February 4 to seek a “unified regional and international response” for women’s rights and access to aid in Afghanistan. 

Ever since seizing control of Kabul in August 2021, the Taliban have issued edicts that have restricted women from seeking education and employment in the country. 

In December 2022, the Taliban government banned women from working in non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the pretext that female staff of NGOs had violated the dress code by not wearing hijab. The Taliban have also prevented women from entering parks and gyms, among other public places, in the country.

A couple of days before that, the Taliban banned women from attending universities and secondary schools across the country. The move sparked international outrage with Washington, United Nations, and several other countries including Pakistan, criticizing the move. 

“I will travel to Pakistan, Germany, and Switzerland Jan 29-Feb 4 to consult with partners, Afghans, and humanitarian relief organizations regarding extraordinary challenges we face in supporting the Afghan people,” West wrote on Twitter. 

West said that the Taliban’s recent decisions have posed “extraordinary challenges” for the international community as it seeks to support the Afghan people. 

“SRA West will work with counterparts to refine a unified regional and international response that reflects a collective commitment to Afghan women and girls’ rights and access to vital aid,” the US State Department website added. 

While Pakistan has expressed “disappointment” over Afghanistan’s edicts concerning women, it has called on the world to engage with the Taliban government rather than shun ties with it altogether. Islamabad has also called on the world to provide humanitarian aid to Kabul to stave off an imminent economic collapse of the country.