UN Special Rapporteur to Present Report on Women's Access to Health Services in Afghanistan

Richard Bennett, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, announced that he will present a new report on the right of women and girls to access health services in Afghanistan at the 61st session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Bennett made the statement in a post on the social network X following his recent trip to Pakistan. He said he is preparing for the session and will deliver the report on February 26. He also plans to present a separate oral statement on what he described as "recent worrying developments in the field of human rights."

The report is expected to focus on access to health services for women and girls, an issue that has drawn international attention and concern since the Taliban returned to power in 2021 and imposed extensive restrictions on women's education, employment and movement.

The Human Rights Council session comes amid ongoing international discussions on addressing Afghanistan's growing humanitarian and human rights crisis.