Lawmakers urge Biden to appoint an ambassador to protect security of Afghan women as U.S. forces exit

Worried about the plight of women in Afghanistan once U.S. troops leave, lawmakers are urging the Biden administration to ensure the U.S. will help keep women and girls in Afghanistan safe once the last U.S. forces have departed.  

Should the Taliban seize control of more of the country,  women could see their rights restricted or worse. There has already been a 37% increase in women killed or injured in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 2020, according to United Nations data.  Democratic Senators Mazie Hirono and Jeanne Shaheen and  Republican Senator Susan Collins sent a letter to the White House last week asking for an ambassador-at-large for global women's issues to be designated to coordinate the protection of women's rights in Afghanistan.