Meryl Streep condemns Taliban’s repression of Afghan women

“Today in Kabul, a female cat has more freedom than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face.”

Meryl Streep, the renowned American actress, spoke out against the repression of women’s rights in Afghanistan during a human rights conference at the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan on Monday (local time). The meeting was convened to promote women's social participation in Afghanistan.

The Taliban regime in Afghanistan, in a decree issued on August 21, has enforced new restrictions under its so-called "moral law," mandating that women cover their entire bodies when outside and forbidding them from raising their voices in public spaces. The decree also bans women from singing or reciting poetry in public.

“A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary,” said Streep. “The way that this culture, this society has been upended, is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world,” she added, urging global leaders to join forces to bring about change in Afghan society.

“Without educated women, without women in employment including in leadership roles, without recognizing the rights and freedoms of half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage,” warned U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, echoing Streep’s concerns.

Streep, known for her roles in films such as The Devil Wears Prada and Mamma Mia, has long advocated for women’s rights. She has previously criticized major Hollywood institutions, including Disney, for gender discrimination, and publicly condemned disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein for sexually exploiting women. In 2015, while promoting the film Suffragette, which portrays the history of the women’s suffrage movement, Streep expressed her commitment to using her platform to support women denied basic rights: "I have an obligation to use my work to give strength to those without rights."


김보라 기자 purple@donga.com