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LAST UPDATE | 24 Sep 2024
TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN and actress Meryl Streep have co-hosted a discussion at the United Nations in New York about women’s future in Afghanistan.
With women’s rights severely restricted since the Taliban forcibly took power in 2021, Streep said in a speech: “A bird may sing in Kabul. A girl may not and a woman may not.”
The Tánaiste is at the UN’s New York headquarters for the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week and is attending a number of events about gender equality, including co-hosting the discussion about women in Afghanistan with Streep.
In her address, Streep highlighted the extreme limitations imposed by the Taliban regime on women and girls.
“In the 1970s… there were women in every profession [in Afghanistan], and then the world upended. And today, in Kabul, a female cat has more freedoms than a woman.
“A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban.”
Meryl Streep at the United Nations: A female cat has more freedoms than a woman in Afghanistan,
— Natiq Malikzada (@natiqmalikzada) September 23, 2024
"A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face," Streep said. "She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan." pic.twitter.com/poNKpuGAwo
The Tánaiste said he was honoured to co-host the discussion with Streep, who introduced a short screening of a documentary film called The Sharp Edge of Peace.
Speaking to reporters in New York, Martin said Streep “captured the enormity of the injustice to women and girls in Afghanistan better than anybody else in that room”.
“She spoke poetically and with great impact,” he said.
“We both feel it’s so inconceivable that something could be happening like that in the world today, where essentially 50% of the population – women, young girls – are prevented from participation in society, and the world is watching, and the world is not meaningfully intervening in my view, in that incredible injustice that’s being perpetrated on the women in Afghanistan,” the Tánaiste added.
Martin said Streep is a “very genuine person” who is very committed to this issue.
Writing on social media, Martin said it is “devastating to see how life for women has changed since the Taliban seized power”.
“As a teacher, education has been my lifelong passion. This is among the basic rights that Afghan women & girls have lost,” he said.
“This is a persecution of a gender & a denial of fundamental freedom. The international community must do all we can to keep this on the world agenda.”
Earlier this month, the Taliban further tightened its restrictions on women, introducing a law to, it said, “promote virtue and prevent vice”.
Women were already banned from secondary schools and universities and ordered to be chaperoned by a family member and cover themselves in public.
Measures in the new law include that a woman’s voice should not be heard outside the home and that they should not sing or read poetry aloud.
Men and women who are not related are forbidden from looking at each other and women must also cover themselves entirely if non-Muslim women are present (usually, veiling is not considered necessary if only women are present in private settings).
The Tánaiste is also delivering a keynote address today at a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) event on investing in women and girls in agriculture.
He is expected to pledge Ireland’s support to the FAO’s Commit to Grow Equality initiative, which aims to improve gender equality and women’s empowerment in agri-food systems.
He will announce a €1.5 million contribution from Ireland to the Commit to Grow Equality Initiative.
“Women play a critical role in food production and farming globally but face a range of barriers that hold them back. Removing those barriers would significantly increase food production and farm incomes in the poorest countries,” Martin said in a statement.
Additional reporting from Jane Matthews
At no point in the article is there a mention of life being tough for the residents of the flat complex so I’m not sure what “snuffbox” is going on about!!!
The few pictures shown here are great. I wish her the best of luck with the exhibition.
Snuffbox what a judgemental ignorant comment to make about the photographer. This woman has a great eye for capturing life and sharing it with a wider audience, best of luck in her exhibition.
Snuffbox, what are you on about? The pictures are from loads of different people that live and lived in the flats over the years not just the photographers family. Best of luck to her for organizing this exhibition, maybe it will inspire others to remember where they came from.
So what! Lifes just as tough everywhere else these days.she took a few photos just cause her granny was from there.
Hi Snuffbox, I refer you to Vanessa’s comment below,
Thanks, Susan, Editor.
like one of the unbelievables once said. “no matter where you go on holidays you never have to pack a bollix because your always sure to find one”
Love those pictures. Love when an artist/photographer ties in history and life, interesting to see that although we are sixty years on the kids are still the same. I am sure not much has changed in the flat complex either.
I am from Pearse house and it was great to see a lot off people coming in and meeting people that they have not seen in years and I met people that worked with my dad telling all the old stories what they got up two thanks well done xxx
Was a great experience for my mam and myself was great to c people who knew me as a child and knew her and chat and remember old times
Wish I was able to go and visit the flats as my Dad was born and raised in 5b Pearse house
His name was Godfrey ( Golly ) Coffey. my Granny Brigid lived there until she died age 83. I have many happy memories of visiting Grannys and meeting my uncle Vincent and my cousin Brigid who often stayed at my grannys house. Ive lived in Australia a long time now but go back frequently . My sister Barbara is visiting Dublin in August this year so she will make an effort to visit the recreated flat and record some pics for me .
have your say