New Delhi, Oct 12: The Indian Journalists Union (IJU) strongly condemned the Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi’s blatant act of gender discrimination in holding a “men-only” press conference during his visit to New Delhi, where women journalists were deliberately excluded from participation. This shameful act of exclusion is a direct affront to the principles of press freedom, gender equality, and human dignity, the IJU said.
In a land where women constitutionally enjoy equal rights, such an incident is utterly unacceptable. The IJU expresses deep dismay that this happened on Indian soil — a country whose Constitution guarantees equality and whose government claims to champion “Nari Shakti”.
Equally disturbing is the Government of India’s conspicuous silence on this serious violation of journalistic and gender rights. By not taking a firm stand against the Taliban Minister’s discriminatory behaviour, the government has sent a dangerous signal — that foreign dignitaries may disregard India’s democratic ethos and constitutional values with impunity.
IJU President and former member of the Press Council of India, Geetartha Pathak, said: “The exclusion of women journalists from a public event held in New Delhi is not merely an insult to Indian women media professionals, but an affront to the very spirit of equality enshrined in our Constitution. India should have immediately objected to this unacceptable behaviour by the Taliban Minister. Silence at such moments amounts to complicity.”
IJU Secretary General and Vice President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Sabina Inderjit, said: “This incident highlights the deep-rooted misogyny of the Taliban regime, which continues to deny Afghan women their basic rights — to education, work, and freedom of expression. India, as a democracy and as a regional leader, must take a principled stand. It should exert diplomatic pressure on the Taliban to ensure full equality of women with men in all spheres — education, health, employment, and public life.”
The IJU called upon the Govt of India to publicly condemn the Taliban Minister’s discriminatory act against women journalists; seek an official apology from the Afghan side for disrespecting India’s constitutional and democratic values; ensure that no future diplomatic or media event hosted in India tolerates gender-based exclusion; and use its diplomatic engagement to press upon the Taliban regime to restore women’s rights in Afghanistan, including their right to education, health, livelihood, and media participation.
"The IJU stands in solidarity with all women journalists — in India and Afghanistan — who continue to resist patriarchal and authoritarian suppression," stated the Union, while reiterating that gender equality and press freedom are inseparable pillars of democracy, and any attack on one is an attack on both.