Since taking power in August, the Taliban have formed a government without women and restricted their access to employment and education, sparking convictions abroad.
But the female presence has not been much better among countries and aid groups in their meetings with the new Afghan leaders, who are seeking international recognition.
“High-ranking women must lead interactions with the Taliban. Don’t exclude women, “said Shaharzad Akbar, the exiled leader of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
On Twitter, she asked governments and humanitarian organizations to “NOT NORMALIZE the exclusion of women from the Taliban.”
Heather Barr, the Human Rights Watch, created a list under the label “sausageparty” (sausage party), of photos uploaded by the Taliban of their meetings with delegations in Kabul.
“Foreign countries and especially aid organizations must lead by example,” Barr told AFP.
“No one should let the Taliban think that this all-male world they are creating is normal.“he added.
The Taliban uploaded dozens of photos to social networks of their meetings with foreign representatives, and none of them appear women.
Notable meetings include one this month of British envoy Simon Gass and Acting Deputy Prime Ministers Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi.
An official told AFP that it was a coincidence that the special envoy and the head of mission were men.
Pakistan, which has advised the Taliban on how to get international support, also uploaded photos and a video of a men’s group accompanying the foreign minister and intelligence chief at their meetings in Kabul.
Fawzia Koofi, a former legislator and negotiator in the peace talks between the deposed Afghan government and the Taliban in Qatar, expressed her anger.
“As world leaders, when they speak of women’s rights they must also act, they need to show they believe in it, which is not just a political statement, “Koofi told AFP.
Even more disturbing, Barr said, are the many photos of meetings between the Taliban and humanitarian organizations that appear to follow the same pattern.
Contacted by AFP, the organizations on their list highlighted their dedication to women’s rights and said they seek to incorporate women into their encounters with the Taliban.
But several admitted having held at least one meeting with the Islamists without the presence of women.
The International Committee of the Red Cross, Unicef and Doctors Without Borders explained that on the occasions when these photos were taken they had sent small delegations that only had men.
But the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent said a last-minute change made a woman who was going to participate in a meeting unable to attend, leaving only men.
The absence of women in high-level positions reveals that, while Afghanistan is an extreme example, it is not the only place where women are excluded.
“The growing concerns about women’s rights in a room full of men seems strange,” Barr said.
The UN recently announced an all-female mission to Afghanistan to discuss girls’ education with the Taliban.
The Taliban leaders, while never including women on their team, have met with women on different occasions, including when negotiating in Qatar with the previous Afghan government.
Koofi, who survived two assassination attempts, was hesitant to participate in conversations with the militants, who imprisoned her husband and threatened to stone her for painting her nails, during her previous term, from 1996 to 2001.
But sitting face to face with them made her feel “powerful.” “It was important for me to make myself visible and for my message to be clear to them,” he said in 2019.
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