October 18, 2024, 12:09 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
At a UN meeting, actress Meryl Streep not only presented her new documentary film but also took the floor and drew attention to the grievances of women in Afghanistan.
Last Tuesday, the UN General Assembly kicked off in New York, where women such as Federal Councillor Viola Amherd and Hollywood star Meryl Streep had their say. The latter spoke at the presentation of her documentary film about the systematic disenfranchisement of Afghan women and gave an impressive speech.
Overview
Meryl Streep presents documentary film and gives speech
Actress Meryl Streep has been campaigning for women’s rights and equality for many years. This is not the first time she has raised her voice for this important issue, as she recently did at the UN General Assembly in New York. She paid particular attention to the fate of women in Afghanistan.
At the screening of her documentary film “The Sharp Edge of Peace,” which focuses on the role of Afghan women’s rights activists before the Taliban came to power, Streep spoke about the significant changes that women have undergone in Afghanistan over the past decades. In the 1970s, many women led independent, self-determined lives, often working in hospitals or law firms. “And then the world was turned upside down,” says Meryl Streep. This refers to the Taliban coming to power in 2021. The situation for women and girls in the country has worsened significantly due to the disregard for human rights and women’s rights in particular.
Meryl Streep: “In Kabul today, a cat has more freedom than a woman”
The 75-year-old says about the precarious situation of women: “In Kabul today, a cat has more freedom than a woman. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the Taliban have closed the parks to women and girls. A bird is allowed to sing in Kabul, but a girl is not. A woman is not allowed to be in public.”
The actress is referring to a series of new laws introduced by the Taliban government last month. Among other things, it stated that women’s voices can no longer be heard in public or that they are not allowed to look at a man to whom they are not related or married. This applies in addition to the laws that the regime had already introduced after taking power, such as the complete covering of the face and body or the prohibition of visits to gyms, sports clubs, or parks.
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Important appeal
Meryl Streep emphasizes the importance of the topic several times in her presentation and calls for intervention. “The way this culture, this society, has been turned upside down is a warning to the rest of the world. If the international community comes together, it can effect change in Afghanistan and stop the slow suffocation of half the population.”