Oscar-winning Hollywood actress Meryl Streep has expressed her deep concern over the rights of Afghan women, stating that today’s cats, monkeys, and other female animals have more rights than women in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a United Nations General Assembly session, Streep showed solidarity with Afghan women. She pointed out that in Kabul, cats enjoy more autonomy than women; they can sit in parks and soak up the sun, while women are denied such freedoms.
Streep highlighted that parks have been closed to Afghan women and girls, who are restricted from moving freely, whereas female animals, including monkeys, can roam those same parks without any restrictions.
“In today’s modern world, birds and female animals in Kabul can come and go as they please, but girls and women are not allowed access to these spaces,” she remarked. Streep lamented that Afghan women are even denied the simple joys of singing and enjoying the sunlight, emphasizing that female monkeys have more rights than they do.
She condemned the Taliban’s restrictions on women as unnatural and criticized the denial of their basic rights, including education.
Streep was joined by other human rights advocates and leaders who also spoke out against the Taliban’s oppression and restrictions on Afghan women during the General Assembly.
Since the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021, the Taliban has systematically imposed bans on Afghan women’s singing, participation in the entertainment industry, employment, education, and their ability to move freely in public spaces.
