Afghan men, inside and outside the country, must stand with their wives, daughters, and sisters to support a hopeful and viable future for the country, Rina Amiri, U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls and Human Rights, said on Saturday.

The statement comes as the world next week marks two years since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) banned Afghan women and girls from universities and women from working for nongovernmental organizations.

Amiri said an open letter on X that through these and more than 80 gender discriminatory policies, “the Taliban (IEA) have stripped women and girls of their agency, mobility, education, livelihood, voice, and access to life-saving medical institutes.”

She called on the international community to continue prioritizing human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls, in any engagement with the IEA. “Progress in improving diplomatic and economic ties must be meaningfully linked to concrete measures to reverse extreme policies targeting women and girls.”

Amiri also called on states, donors, academic institutions, and the private sector to match the resilience and creativity of Afghan women and girls with concrete support equipping them with resources, technology, education, employment tools, and economic opportunities.

“Afghanistan will remain in darkness so long as the dreams of Afghan women and girls are dimmed,” Amiri said. “The road ahead will be long, but hopelessness and resignation are not an option. “

“The world is being tested.  If we fail Afghan women and girls, we fail women and girls everywhere and set a dangerous precedent that will be replicated elsewhere, far beyond Afghanistan.”

This comes as the Islamic Emirate has repeatedly said that the rights of women and girls are ensured in Afghanistan according to Sharia.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says they are working to strengthen Afghanistan's economy through the implementation of major projects, and the country is gradually becoming self-sufficient.

Mujahid stated that the start of projects like TAPI, Trans-Afghan, and CASA-1000 will create many good job opportunities.

“In general, other projects that have been planned are also being implemented. The CASA-1000 project will begin soon, and the Qosh Tepa project and other projects are already in progress,” said Mujahid.

"Gradually, Afghanistan is standing on its feet, and good job opportunities will be available for Afghans, which will have a positive impact on Afghanistan's economy,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, some members of the private sector have stated that economic development will be difficult unless the country solves its electricity production problem.

They believe that if the government expands electricity production, investments in various sectors will increase, and the unemployment rate will decrease.

Sakhi Ahmad Payman, the first deputy of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, stated, "Distribution of land and energy for industrialists is one of our work priorities. It will be very beneficial and effective for sustainable employment and advancing Afghanistan's industry."

On the other hand, experts believe that Afghanistan has good potential in electricity production, and if the IEA can attract more investments in this area, the electricity shortage problem will be permanently solved, leading to significant growth in all sectors of the country's economy.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has closed 12 media outlets – both public and private – in seven provinces this year, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has said.

Eleven television stations and one radio station have been forced to completely cease their activities, while three radio stations were closed temporarily before they were allowed to resume operations on the condition that they agreed to stop broadcasting music, RSF said in a statement.

"The ideological hardening of the Taliban (IEA) in recent months has accelerated repression and increased threats against media outlets in Afghanistan. The proliferation of bans on images of living beings in certain provinces, in particular, has led to a series of closures of television stations,” said Célia Mercier, head of RSF's South Asia Desk.

She called for the unconditional reopening of all silenced media outlets, so they can continue their mission of informing the people in complete freedom.

The Islamic Emirate says it has shut media outlets serving banned political parties, and some outlets have stopped operating due to economic problems.

Earlier, Political Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai also said that the Islamic Emirate should allow media to operate freely.