1.4 Million Afghan Girls Cannot Access Education, FM Retno: We Need to Use All Means

JAKARTA - Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi called for the need to use various methods to voice the aspirations of Afghan women.

This was stated by Foreign Minister Retno at the High-Level Side Event meeting "Inclusion of Women in the future of Afghanistan", which was held on September 23, 2024 at the UN Headquarters, New York, United States.

"UNESCO noted that at least 1.4 million Afghan girls were prohibited from accessing secondary education in 2024. This worrying condition needs to be our common concern," said Foreign Minister Retno, in a statement from the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 24.

The meeting, which was held on the sidelines of the High-level Week of the 79th UN General Assembly, was to encourage the involvement and fulfillment of women's rights and the peace process in Afghanistan.

On this occasion, Indonesia hosted the meeting together with Ireland, Qatar, and Switzerland as well as the Women's Forum on Afghanistan.

"I am a woman, a mother, a grandmother and a Muslim. However, I have freedom access to almost everything. What about Afghan women? Do they have the same rights as their brothers?", Foreign Minister Retno asked the participants, when opening the meeting.

In her remarks, Foreign Minister Retno explained that during 2024, Indonesia will collaborate with local NGOs in Afghanistan to carry out psychosocial projects involving 400 Afghan women.

Furthermore, Indonesia is also ready to provide support for the development of a sharia microfinance business model to encourage job creation for Afghan women.

"We need to use all means to voice the aspirations of Afghan women," said Foreign Minister Retno.

The High-Level Side Event meeting was opened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Swiss President Viola Amherd, and the Indonesian Minister of Foreign Affairs. The discussion also presented the Irish and Qatari Foreign Ministers, Fawzia Koofi and Habiba Sarabi who are Afghan women activists, as well as the UN Under-Secretary-General for Politics and Peacebuilding Rosemary DiCarlo.

The UN Secretary-General said that Afghan women experience high levels of gender-based violence and maternal mortality.

"Afghan women told the UN that they feel insecure, isolated, and helpless because they have lost the ability to support their families or contribute to their communities," Secretary-General Guterres said.

The meeting noted the importance of access to education for Afghan women, as well as opportunities to work, including in leadership positions.