Neumann: Women’s Rights Are Being Traded Away in Deals With the Taliban
Tawazon – Hannah Neumann, a Member of the European Parliament from the Green Party and a prominent human rights advocate, has strongly criticized the deteriorating situation of women’s rights in Afghanistan. In a statement published today on her official X (formerly Twitter), Neumann warned that the international community is breaking its promise to support Afghan women.
She described the situation of women in Afghanistan as “gender apartheid” and condemned political deals and behind the scenes negotiations with the Taliban that come “at the expense of women’s fundamental rights and freedoms.” She urged the world to recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity under international law.
Neumann stated: ““Three years ago, we all stood here and said we would not abandon Afghanistan. Today, that promise is being broken.” She stressed that Afghanistan is now the only country in the world where girls are banned from education, and women are prohibited from working, traveling, and even speaking in public.
“Half of the population has been erased from public life. This is not culture, nor is it a domestic issue. It is gender apartheid,” she said.
Neumann also condemned Taliban restrictions on communication networks in Afghanistan: “While rescuers were trying to save families trapped under rubble after the earthquake, the Taliban shut down the internet, deliberatelyplunging 40 million people into digital darkness. This is a calculated act of cruelty.”
She criticized some European governments for secretly engaging with the Taliban and negotiating the forced return of Afghan refugees, instead of defneding Afghan women: “These actions are a short time deal that trades away human rights and broken promises. This is complicity in Taliban crimes.”
Hannah Neumann called on the international community to stop normalizing the Taliban and instead, officially condemned their crimes against women, recognize gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, and take legal action to ensure accountability and preserve evidence for future justice.
Hannah Neumann made these remarks today, 8 October 2025, during a special session of the European Parliament. In this session, members of the European Parliament condemned the Taliban’s policies as “gender apartheid” and stressed the urgent need for international action to support the rights of Afghan women.
“For a woman in Afghanistan today, life has become an endless nightmare,” Neumann said in her closing statement.
Hannah Neumann has been serving in the European Parliament since 2019 and is a member of committees working on human rights and foreign affairs. She has consistently spoken out about Taliban abuses and has been one of the leading European voices advocating for the rights of Afghan women and girls.
