Taliban Minister Faces Criticism in India for Excluding Female Journalists
Taliban Minister Faces Criticism in India for Excluding Female Journalists
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi faced strong criticism during his visit to India after female journalists were not allowed to attend his first press conference at the Afghan Embassy in Delhi.
Many Indian politicians, journalists, and women’s groups called this act a clear violation of gender equality and press freedom.
After public anger grew, Muttaqi’s team held another press conference on Sunday where both male and female journalists were invited. This move was seen as an attempt to repair diplomatic relations and show a softer image of the Taliban.
“It Was Not Deliberate,” Says Muttaqi
Muttaqi said that the earlier exclusion of women was not done on purpose.
“The first event was arranged quickly, and the list of attendees was made in a hurry. There was no plan to exclude women,” he said.
However, many human rights groups were not satisfied. The United Nations has already called the Taliban’s treatment of women a form of “gender apartheid.”
Women’s Rights Under Pressure
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021, girls above age 12 are not allowed to attend school, and most jobs for women have been banned.
Reports also say that books written by female authors have been removed from universities.
Muttaqi said that education for women is only “paused,” not banned, but many journalists disagreed with his statement.
India’s Reaction
India has not officially recognized the Taliban government but keeps limited contact for regional and security reasons.
During his visit, Muttaqi met Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, and they reportedly discussed peace and embassy reopening in Kabul.
The exclusion of women journalists led to strong political criticism in India. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi said that the Indian government failed to support women’s rights.
Indian media organizations such as the Editors Guild of India and Network of Women in Media (NWMI) called the event discriminatory and demanded that such incidents should not happen again.
A Second Chance for Dialogue
The second press conference, where women were allowed, was seen as a positive step.
Female journalists sitting in the front row became a symbol of freedom, equality, and democracy — values that contrast with Afghanistan’s current situation.
Symbol of Change
The image of Afghan Taliban’s foreign minister speaking to female journalists in India quickly went viral online.
It became a symbol of the struggle between strict traditions and modern rights, showing how diplomacy and gender equality can come together.
