Hollywood actress Meryl Streep has raised her voice in a passionate appeal to the international community, urging action to end the Taliban’s ongoing repression of Afghan women.
Speaking at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Streep highlighted the harsh reality women face under Taliban rule, where even animals appear to have more freedom.
Streep pointed out that while animals in Afghanistan can enjoy simple freedoms like sitting in the sun or roaming in parks, women and girls are denied basic rights.
She was responding to the latest set of “morality laws” introduced by the Taliban, which further limit women’s presence in public spaces.
These laws, among other things, forbid women from speaking publicly or making eye contact with men who are not related to them by blood or marriage.
The new rules are part of a broader campaign of restrictions imposed since the Taliban returned to power three years ago.
Women are required to cover themselves completely, and they are barred from attending schools, parks, gyms, and sports clubs.
Employment opportunities for women have also been severely curtailed, further stripping away their rights and independence.
Streep’s powerful statement echoed the gravity of the situation: “Today in Kabul, a female cat has more freedom than a woman.
A cat may sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face, chase a squirrel in the park. A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not in public.”
She emphasized that this suppression of natural law and human dignity should serve as a warning to the world.
A Taliban spokesperson responded to Streep’s comments, claiming they “highly respected” women and would “never compare them to cats.”
Despite their response, the reality for Afghan women remains dire.
Streep called on world leaders to intervene, urging them to “stop the slow suffocation” of Afghan women and girls.
She warned that the world cannot stand by and allow such extreme repression to continue unchecked.
At the same event, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres echoed Streep’s concerns, stating that Afghanistan “will never take its rightful place on the global stage” without educated women and the active participation of women in the workforce.
Streep and Guterres made it clear that the future of Afghanistan depends on restoring the rights and freedoms of its women.
