New Delhi: Afghan Foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, who is on a landmark visit to India, addressed a press conference in Delhi on Thursday.
One of the most striking features of his interaction with the media at Afghan Embassy was the absence of female journalists.
There is a significant number of female journalists working in print media, television and digital media in India. And it is rare, indeed unprecedented, for a press conference to be held with male-only journalists.
Obviously, the call on who would participate in the press meet from which media house was taken by Taliban officials accompanying Muttaqi.
The exclusion of women sparked outrage among journalists, political leaders and social media users. The common sentiment was that it was a blatant display of misogyny and an insult to India’s democratic ethos.
“Women journalists were not invited to the press conference of Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Unacceptable,” India Today journalist Geeta Mohan wrote on X.
“No Woman Journalist invited to the press conference by Muttaqi. No reference to the horrible plight of Afghan girls and women under Taliban regime in opening remarks of EAM Jaishankar or the joint statement issued after talks with Muttaqi. Muttaqi getting the red carpet welcome in a country where we take pride in women achievers and leaders because of our security concerns. World politics today,” journalist Smita Sharma expressed.
“Right under the Indian government’s nose, in the heart of the capital city, the Afghan Foreign Minister Muttaqi holds a press conference, intentionally excluding any female journalists. How can this be allowed? Who approved such an outrageous disregard for representation?” journalist Nayanima Basu posted.
One social media user commented, “In my opinion, the male journalists should have walked out of the press conference as a mark of protest.”
Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed wrote, “Who are they to dictate terms to our nation, that too, on our own soil, and impose their discriminatory agenda against women?”
One user pointed out, “Keeping the framed picture of the Bamiyan Buddha statue, which was bombed by the Taliban, a black mark of their ruling. And then not inviting any women journalists to the press conference.”
The Taliban, which is in power in Afghanistan, is known for its misogynistic policies towards Afghan women. The regime has repeatedly suppressed women’s rights in Afghanistan and imposed severe restrictions on women, barring them from education, employment, and other public spaces.
“What is even more ridiculous is that the Taliban FM is allowed to bring their abhorrent and illegal discrimination against women to India, as the government hosts the Taliban delegation with full official protocol. This isn’t pragmatism, this is supplication,” wrote journalist Suhasini Haidar.
This is the first visit to India by an Afghan minister since Taliban regained power in 2021.
