Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent representations he has made to the Taliban on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan: and what outcome he has achieved.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) officials regularly speak to the Taliban on the UK Government's priorities, including women's rights in Afghanistan, most recently in June. Ministers do not engage with the Taliban. The Foreign Secretary condemned the erosion of women and girls' rights in the appalling "vice and virtue" law introduced in August 2024. The UK Government is working with international partners to maintain collective pressure on the Taliban to reverse their inhuman restrictions. Upholding human rights and gender equality is not only a moral imperative but also essential for building a stable, inclusive and prosperous country for all Afghans.