Repercussions of Meryl Streep's Criticism of Afghan Women's Rights Violations; 'Legal Action' by Four Countries

Following Meryl Streep's explicit criticism of the situation of women under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, four countries—Germany, Australia, the Netherlands, and Canada—announced they are considering an 'unprecedented' legal action against this extremist group due to the 'systematic oppression' of women and girls. Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands stated in New York that they have initiated a multinational legal process against the Taliban, which could lead to the submission of a case regarding women's rights violations in Afghanistan under this group's rule to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Streep's critical remarks at the 'Future of Afghan Women' meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly have recently made headlines across social media and news outlets. At the UN meeting, Streep stated that even squirrels and cats in Afghanistan have more freedom than women, and under the Taliban, half of Afghanistan's population is gradually 'suffocating.' She urged countries around the world to pay attention to the rights of Afghan women and girls, saying, 'Today in Kabul, a female cat has more freedom than a woman. A cat can lie down and feel the sunlight on its face, chase a squirrel in the park. Nowadays in Afghanistan, a squirrel has more rights than a girl because the Taliban have closed public parks to women and girls. A bird can sing in Kabul, but a girl and a woman are not allowed in public spaces. This is unbelievable; the oppression is natural law.' These critical remarks come after the increasing violation of the most basic rights of women in Afghanistan, which has taken on new dimensions since the Taliban's establishment in the country. In late August of this year, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, issued new regulations under the title 'Law of Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong,' which includes restrictions on women's voices and faces. Article 13 of the new law, announced by the Taliban's Ministry of Justice, states that covering all women's bodies is 'mandatory' and that 'for fear of sedition, covering women's faces is essential.' The law also states that a woman's voice, even if reciting the Quran, is considered 'nakedness' and is against Islamic law and prohibited. Despite all these restrictions, Meryl Streep's remarks have faced a reaction from the Taliban, which deemed her criticisms 'baseless.' Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar, stated, 'No one denies the rights that Islam has given to women, and we respect women publicly and especially as mothers, sisters, and partners, but we do not compare them to cats as they have done.' He claimed that currently, 'thousands of women are employed in the Ministry of Public Health, Education, and Interior, and many of them are engaged in free work in the private sector and business.' According to the French news agency, the four countries, led by Germany, are set to open a legal case against the Taliban in this regard, which could ultimately be brought before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The report published on Thursday, October 5, stated that Germany, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands will accuse the Taliban of violating the 'Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women,' which was signed by the then Afghan government in 2003. Penny Wong, the Australian Foreign Minister, told reporters in New York, 'We know that Afghan women and girls are effectively being erased from public life by the various edicts issued by the Taliban.' She emphasized that 'the step we are taking with Germany, Canada, and the Netherlands is unprecedented.' The Taliban government in Afghanistan has recently entered its fourth year of operation but continues to struggle with a legitimacy crisis. During this time, the Taliban has failed to convince the international community to cooperate to lift Afghanistan from international isolation and has generally trampled on the fundamental rights and civil demands of the people inside Afghanistan, especially women and girls. Ensuring women's rights, freedom of expression, establishing an inclusive government, and gaining internal legitimacy are among the conditions that the international community has set for recognizing the Taliban government.