Motion #01

Solidarity with Women in Afghanistan

Solidarity with Women in Afghanistan

Exceptional Circumstance

The exceptional circumstance for this motion is the reports of women in Afghanistan posting videos online of them singing in defiance of new laws. This was  reported in the UK media on Sunday 1 September, 9 days after the deadline for Late Motions.

Synopsis

The Green Party stands in solidarity with women in Afghanistan protesting against their systematic exclusion from society and urges its six Parliamentarians to speak up in Parliament for Afghan women.

Motion

Conference notes that:

• Since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover of Afghanistan, women have been systematically erased from society, being ordered against leaving their homes without a male relative, banned from secondary education, and banned from working in most sectors.
• Women protesting for their rights have faced violence from security forces.
• The UK government does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan and has no formal diplomatic relations with the regime. Dialogue with Taliban officials occurs in Qatar through the UK Mission to Afghanistan, providing the UK with a unique opportunity to advocate for Afghan women.
• In August 2024, women were ordered to cover their entire bodies in public, banned from looking directly at men they are not related to, and banned from speaking in public.
• In protest, women in Afghanistan have been posting videos online singing and criticising the regime.

Conference:

• Condemns the Taliban’s treatment of women and believes it to be nothing short of a humanitarian crisis.
• Supports United Nations experts’ calls for the recognition of gender apartheid under international law as a crime against humanity.
• Endorses Amnesty International’s demands of the UK government: to consult with women-led organisations in Afghanistan, support Afghan women’s rights activists, ensure that protecting women’s rights is non-negotiable with the Taliban, and provide safe passage for Afghan women and girls seeking asylum in the UK.
• Calls on the six Green Party Parliamentarians to advocate for the 14 million women and girls in Afghanistan and urge the Government to follow Amnesty International’s demands.