A huge controversy hit a chord on Friday after no female journalist was invited to the press conference of Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in New Delhi. The ceremony, which took place at the Afghan Embassy, was the first official visit by a high-level Taliban minister to India following the takeover by the group in 2021.
It was decided by Taliban officials who were present with Muttaqi, according to individuals close to the situation, in disregard of reported advice from Indian authorities that access should be large-scale and include women reporters. Less than 20 reporters were permitted to attend, all of them men.
Exclusion Sparks Scathing Criticism
The exclusion elicited strong criticism from journalists, politicians, and members of civil society, who termed it as an outright exhibition of gender bias and an affront to India’s democratic ethos.
India Today journalist Geeta Mohan posted on X, “Women journalists were not invited to the press conference of Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Unacceptable.”
Yet another journalist said, “The male journalists should have boycotted in protest. To permit this is to condone misogyny on Indian soil.”
Congress spokesman Shama Mohamed also joined in the condemnation, stating, “Who are they to set terms for our country and enforce their discriminatory agenda on women?”
Taliban’s Gender Apartheid Bigger Than Afghanistan
The ban on women journalists in India by the Taliban shows the regime’s ongoing gender apartheid policies in Afghanistan where women and girls have been deprived of fundamental rights such as education, work, and movement.
The United Nations recently characterised the situation in Afghanistan as the “world’s most severe women’s rights crisis,” with systematic oppression and nearly complete exclusion of women from public life.
In spite of international criticism, Muttaqi promoted the Taliban record at the press conference, asserting that peace and stability had been returned in Afghanistan since 2021. “All nations have their own traditions and laws. People have rights. If they were dissatisfied, peace wouldn’t have resumed,” he expressed in Urdu, sitting beneath a painting of the 6th-century Bamiyan Buddha statues destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
“How Could India Allow This?”
A number of veteran journalists asked how such a ban was allowed at a function in India’s capital. Nayanima Basu of The Diplomat responded, “Right under the Indian government’s nose, the Taliban foreign minister holds a press conference deliberately excluding female journalists. Who approved such an outrageous disregard for representation?”
The Hindu’s Suhasini Haidar further added, “Letting the Taliban FM bring their disgusting discrimination against women to India isn’t diplomacy it’s submission.”
Background: Muttaqi’s Visit and India’s Engagement
Muttaqi’s visit marks the first by a Taliban minister since August 2021, when the group overthrew Afghanistan’s elected government. He met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, with discussions reportedly focused on trade, humanitarian aid, and security cooperation.
During the interaction, Muttaqi also claimed that no terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad operate from Afghan soil, and advised Pakistan to “follow Afghanistan’s example” in ensuring peace.
Whereas India declared its intention to elevate its Technical Mission in Kabul to a full-fledged embassy, the row over the exclusion of women journalists overshadowed the diplomatic overtures questioning India’s position on women’s rights and press freedom in foreign engagement.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
