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Since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan again, women have had to wear veils again
Photo: Jalil Rezayee / picture alliance / dpa
According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, the rights of women and girls have suffered significant cuts in the past twelve months.
"The world's crises do not have an equal or equitable impact," Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard said on Tuesday, International Women's Day, according to a statement.
"The disproportionate impact on the rights of women and girls is well documented, even if it is still neglected or even ignored."
As a particularly drastic example, the organization cites the Taliban's takeover of power in Afghanistan, where, despite courageous protests across the country, women and girls are now being treated as "second-class citizens" who are being deprived of the right to education, for example.
More violence against women and girls in Ukraine
The corona pandemic has also had a negative impact: the number of cases of domestic violence has increased, and the insecurity on the job market has affected women disproportionately.
There were further deteriorations in the United States, where there were more restrictions on abortion rights in 2021 than in any previous year.
Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention for the Protection of Women has also worsened the rights of women and girls in Turkey.
In recent years, Amnesty International has documented that there have been increasing cases of violence against women in the conflict zones in eastern Ukraine.
It is expected that this pattern will now spread to the entire country in view of the war.
"No society can afford or tolerate more than half the population having their dignity diminished," Callamard said.
»There can be no excuse for not making just and fair policies for women and girls.«
On International Women's Day, Family and Women's Minister Anne Spiegel called on people not to let up in the fight against sexism and for gender equality.
Sexism is an everyday phenomenon that affects many women, especially in the workplace.
"I've been in politics for over 20 years and unfortunately I also experienced sexism there," said the Green politician of the Funke media group.
Ultimately, sexism is an expression of unequal power structures between the sexes, said the 41-year-old.
»And it is also so dangerous because sexism is a breeding ground for violence against women.
If we manage to fight sexism in our society, then we will also fight violence against women and girls.«
muk/dpa
