Hollywood actress Meryl Streep on Monday called on world leaders at the United Nations to turn their attention to the plight of Afghan women and girls, saying female cats have more freedom than women in the country.
“The way this society has been turned upside down is a lesson for the rest of the world,” Streep said at an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly to encourage women’s participation in Afghanistan’s future.
The Taliban seized power in August 2021 when U.S.-led forces withdrew after two decades of war. The United Nations has called for a unified global approach to deal with the Taliban, who have suppressed women’s rights.
The Taliban have barred most girls from attending high school and women from attending university. They have closed beauty salons and restricted women’s travel without male guardians.
“In Kabul today, a female cat has more freedom than a woman. She may sit on her doorstep and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. In Afghanistan today, squirrels have more rights than girls because public parks are closed to women and girls,” Streep said.
“In Kabul, birds can sing but girls can’t sing and women can’t sing in public. This is abnormal,” she said.
The Taliban say they respect rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law, and last month they formally codified a lengthy set of rules governing morality that is based on a 2022 decree from the group’s supreme spiritual leader and will be enforced by the Ministry of Morality.
“Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the world stage without educated women, without women in employment, including leadership roles, and without recognizing the rights and freedoms of half of its population,” U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the event.