Republican Sen. Johnny Ernst, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told VOA that the United States is not doing enough to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Senator Ernst, along with 24 female senators from both parties, wrote a letter to President Biden in November last year, urging the US government to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. To protect.
“I also agree that the United States is committed to protecting Afghan women and girls,” Ms Ernst told VOA in response to criticism of the US government for not doing enough to secure the release of Afghan women’s rights activists. Not enough effort for.”
Senator Ernst called for transparency and accountability in how humanitarian aid money is spent in Afghanistan.
“The 3.8 million given to the Taliban is to help the people of Afghanistan. I want President Biden’s administration to clarify how this money is being spent,” she said.
Ms. Ernst added that there must be transparency in how this money is spent, because American taxpayers want to know that their money is being spent to help the people of Afghanistan and that the Taliban are not taking advantage of it.
Senator Ernst says unless the Taliban respect women’s rights, as in advanced democracies, their government should not be recognized by the United States.
She added: “I think they [the Taliban] should not be recognized unless they respect women’s rights like the advanced democracies of the world. “We have not yet witnessed their actions and I do not think the US government’s recognition of the Taliban would be justified.”
The Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan about six months ago after the withdrawal of foreign troops, has not yet been recognized by any government. The international community is urging the Taliban to form an inclusive government that includes women and minorities, but the Taliban insists that the current caretaker government is inclusive and has met all the conditions for recognition.
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