A cat can sit on the windowsill and feel the sun on its face. She can chase a squirrel in the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, since the parks are closed to women and girls, says Streep during a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York.
The statement comes in connection with a meeting on the theme of women's inclusion in future Afghanistan, where the 75-year-old actress and activist was invited.
There, she appeared alongside, among others, Sweden's former Foreign Minister Margot Wallström, who is now the chair of the organization Women's Forum on Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban took power in August 2021, they have gradually cracked down harder on women's rights, citing their interpretation of Islamic law.
Women have been excluded from education after sixth grade and from a long list of professions. As recently as a couple of weeks ago, they were forbidden from leaving their homes unless "necessary" and from raising their voices outside their own homes.
A bird can sing in Kabul, but neither a girl nor a woman can do so publicly. It's extraordinary, says Streep.
