Women activists protest against lack of women's representation in Afghan delegation for Moscow talks

Kabul [Afghanistan], October 22 (ANI): Several women activists have expressed disappointment at the lack of women representatives in the Afghanistan delegation that took part in the talks in Moscow, local media reported.
According to TOLOnews, the women activists in Afghanistan said that the Islamic Emirate is yet to act on its commitments of ensuring rights to women.
However, the news channel reported that the ministry of Information and Culture affirmed that the meeting was a political one and women are "not within the structure of the Emirate.
"It was a meeting in which the political officials of other countries participated. The Islamic Emirate doesn't have any women in its [official] structure," TOLOnews quoted the Deputy minister of information and culture Zabiullah Mujahid as saying.
Moreover, the women activists reportedly said that women have not been given any role in the government.
"The host of every summit with the Taliban should consider the inclusion of women as well, thus, over time, this issue will become a normal practice for the Taliban; also, the world that wants to support Afghan women--they should also show it in practice," the news channel quoted former Afghan ambassador to Norway Shukria Barakzai as saying.
However, women activists said that the world community had demanded the inclusion of women in the Afghan government and this was not just the wish of women in Afghanistan, according to TOLOnews.
Earlier, lauding the Taliban's efforts to stabilise the situation in Afghanistan post their control of the war-torn nation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday urged the Islamic Emirate to form an inclusive government.
Speaking at Moscow Format Dialogue on Afghanistan, Lavrov said, "We note the efforts they (Taliban) take to stabilise the military and political situation, establish the activities of the state machine."
"We see the formula for its successful solution mainly in the formation of a truly inclusive government, which should fully reflect the interests of all not only ethnic but also political forces of the country," he added. (ANI)