Hollywood Star: Women in Afghanistan gained voting rights before Swiss women
The renowned American actress Meryl Streep called on countries around the world to intervene on behalf of Afghan women during a meeting in New York.
Referring to the setbacks faced by women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, she pointed out that Afghan women had the right to vote long before women in Switzerland.
She said, “I graduated from university in New York in 1971, the same year Swiss women gained the right to vote. But Afghan women had the right to vote half a century earlier.”
In the 1960s, during the decade of democracy in Afghanistan, women were granted the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Left-wing women were particularly active in these elections.
King Zahir Shah, who ruled Afghanistan from 1933 to 1973, played a key role in advancing human and women’s rights. Under his rule, the 1964 constitution was established, granting women the right to vote and participate in politics. This period is often referred to as the “decade of democracy” in Afghanistan.
Zahir Shah’s constitution also supported broader human rights reforms, aiming for gender equality in education and the workforce. Afghan women had the opportunity to participate in political processes and exercise their rights, marking a progressive era in the country’s history.
Ireland, Switzerland, Qatar, and Indonesia held a meeting on Monday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly to discuss the role of women in Afghanistan’s future. The meeting also featured a documentary by Roya Sadat about four Afghan women who were part of the negotiation team with the Taliban before the fall of the previous government.
Before introducing the film, Meryl Streep expressed solidarity with Afghan women both inside and outside the country. She urged countries, particularly Sunni Muslim nations, to act on behalf of Afghan women and change their situation.
She said the legal and social restrictions on Afghan women are a warning to other nations as well.
Streep highlighted the rights Afghan women had in past decades, stating that under Taliban rule, “a female cat has more rights than a woman. The cat can sit outside a house and feel the sun on her face. The cat can chase a squirrel in the park. But, by Taliban orders, the park is closed to Afghan women and girls.”
During the meeting, the UN Secretary-General also strongly criticized the Taliban’s “promotion of virtue” law, saying it formalizes the exclusion of women from public life.
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