Members' Business — S6M-12801 Michelle Thomson: Taliban's Suppression of Women's and Girls' Rights in Afghanistan

That the Parliament condemns what it sees as the continued suppression of the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, following the takeover by the Taliban authorities; appreciates that, since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021, the United Nations has continued to condemn the actions being enforced and highlight the Taliban’s reported behaviour in breaking international law; considers that the requirement to be accompanied by a Mahram, a male chaperone, at all times beyond the home severely inhibits female participation in society; notes the reported restrictions on daily life for women and girls, including access to education, the use of gyms and parks, access to beauty services, bans on women working in various sectors of society, the compulsory wearing of hijabs and the reduction in available aid to women unless being delivered by women workers; notes what it sees as the detrimental impact that restrictions to all educational levels will have on women and girls, including on their acquisition of skills, knowledge and professional development opportunities; further notes what it sees as the detrimental impact that the ban on women and girls accessing outdoor social areas and beauty services will have, including the loss of jobs and the loss of women-only spaces; is appalled by the recently reported intention of the Taliban to re-impose the stoning to death of women; notes reports that the United Nations has declared that the Taliban has restricted the rights of women so gravely that it has made Afghanistan the "most repressive country" in the world; further notes that the overall societal impacts caused by the Taliban restrictions reportedly include increasing food scarcity and reliance on humanitarian aid; understands that population displacement caused by the restrictions has wider impacts, with countries including Scotland welcoming refugees through both humanitarian routes and informal routes; notes the role of the Scottish Government in providing £1 million per annum through the Humanitarian Emergency Fund to international humanitarian crises, including in Afghanistan; recognises the contributions of local groups across Scotland, including those in the Falkirk district, in supporting refugees who have resettled in Scotland to realise their potential, and further condemns the acts of the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan.