Taliban Minister's Press Conference Highlights Gender Discrimination in Media Access

Mon Oct 13 2025 16:55:57 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Amir Khan Muttaqi's recent press briefing in Delhi has sparked outrage over the exclusion of female journalists, prompting a cultural dialogue on gender equality and representation.

The press conference held by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Delhi has raised significant concerns regarding gender discrimination after female journalists were initially barred from attending. Following public uproar, a second conference was organized, allowing female reporters to participate. The incident has ignited debates about women’s rights in Afghanistan and the ongoing struggle for gender equality in media representation.

It's often said that a picture can speak a thousand words.

The one in Indian newspapers showing female journalists occupying front-row seats at the Afghan Taliban foreign minister's press conference in Delhi is certainly one of those.

The conference - the second press event by Amir Khan Muttaqi at the Afghan embassy in about 48 hours - was called after a huge uproar over the exclusion of women from his first meeting on Friday.

Muttaqi said at Sunday's conference that the exclusion was unintentional and not deliberate.

With regard to the [Friday's] press conference, it was on short notice and a short list of journalists was decided, and the participation list that was presented was very specific.

It was more a technical issue... Our colleagues had decided to send an invitation to a specific list of journalists and there was no other intention apart from this, he added.

The UN has referred to the situation in Afghanistan as gender apartheid where women and girls are not allowed to attend secondary school or university, visit parks or gyms. The jobs they are allowed to do are increasingly restricted and the Taliban government enforces head-to-toe coverings and restricts their travel.

The Taliban government, which retook power in 2021, has previously said it respects women's rights in accordance with their interpretation of Afghan culture and Islamic law, but Western diplomats have said their attempts to gain recognition have been hampered by the curbs on women. The suppression of women's rights under their rule is the harshest in the world.

Muttaqi arrived in India on Thursday for high-level talks with the government from Russia, the only country so far to fully recognise their government.

Delhi has not formally recognised Afghanistan's de facto rulers but maintains some form of diplomatic relations with them, even keeping a small mission in Kabul and sending humanitarian aid there.

The visit is seen as a ramping up of relations between the countries, key for both - the Taliban government receives a boost in its quest for recognition, while India advances its strategic and security interests. On Friday, Muttaqi met Foreign Minister S Jaishankar who announced that India would reopen its embassy in Kabul which was shuttered after the Taliban's return to power in 2021.

The press event later in the day was attended by around 16 male reporters while female journalists were turned away from the embassy gates.

A source in the Taliban government admitted women had not been invited to attend.

India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated it had no involvement in the press interaction as it was held at the Afghan embassy.

But the gender discrimination on Indian soil angered politicians and journalists who criticized the government for allowing it to happen.

Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi stated that by allowing the event to proceed, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi was telling every woman in India that you are too weak to stand up for them.

The Editors Guild of India, IWPC, and NWMI issued strong statements condemning the exclusion as highly discriminatory.

They emphasized that such blatant gender discrimination on diplomatic grounds cannot be justified, urging the Indian government to uphold female rights.

Amid growing outrage, Muttaqi's team sent out fresh invitations for the second event, branding it as inclusive.

During the well-attended conference, the minister faced difficult questions regarding the exclusion of women from the earlier meeting - and their rights in Afghanistan.

Muttaqi stated, We have 10 million students in schools and institutes, including over 2.8 million women and girls... Some limits exist, but we've never declared women's education religiously haram [forbidden], it's only postponed until further order.

Despite his claims, many journalists pointed out the Taliban's restrictions since 2021 forbidding education for girls over the age of 12. The minister's ensuing responses about women's rights left many journalists dissatisfied. However, the mere organization of a second conference and the minister's willingness to answer questions on gender issues signify a small stride towards progress.