Afghan diplomat shuns Taliban rule by refusing to leave post, calls on West to 'mobilize' against abuses

As the Taliban issues increased restrictions that deprive Afghan women of their basic human rights, a sole female diplomat from the former government continues to uphold her ambassadorial duties.

For more than two years following that monumental decision, Bakhtari remains the only female ambassador to stay the course, operating with a lean team from a small office in Vienna. In addition to helping diaspora Afghans with their consular needs, Bakhtari continues to travel to conferences and meetings with fellow world leaders to speak about the tragedies unfolding in Afghanistan. Chief on her list of concerns is the Taliban’s treatment of Afghan women.  Beth Bailey is a reporter covering Afghanistan, the Middle East, Asia, and Central America. She was formerly a civilian intelligence analyst with the Department of the Army. You can follow Beth on Twitter @BWBailey85

"Five years before, we had hundreds of women in our parliament, in our government, in the civil societies … and now a woman cannot exhibit her rights," Bakhtari explained. She noted that the Taliban’s "violations and discriminatory measures" against women have escalated in recent months. After closing domestic violence shelters in 2021, Afghanistan’s rulers have begun imprisoning women to protect them from gender-based violence.