Meryl Streep advocates for women in powerful UN speech
Meryl Streep has delivered an emotional speech at the United Nations to advocate for the rights of Afghan women and girls.
The Hollywood legend attended an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in a bid to get world leaders to focus on the plight of women in Afghanistan and the future female generations.
"The way that ... this society has been upended is a cautionary tale for the rest of the world," she began.
Streep's speech was prompted by the three-year mark since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, when United States-led forces withdrew after 20 years of war.
The UN has since tried to find a unified global approach to dealing with the Taliban, who have cracked down on women's rights., with women now barred from receiving an education of any kind, and women not allowed to leave their homes without a male guardian.
"Today in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman. A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today, because the public parks have been closed to women and girls."
#MerylStreep:
Today, in Kabul a female cat has more freedoms than a woman #Afghanistan @Taliban_times #Taliban #UNGA79 @amanpour @VP pic.twitter.com/6grjX0IBzE
— PassBlue (@pass_blue) September 24, 2024
"A bird may sing in Kabul, but a girl may not and a woman may not in public. This is extraordinary," Streep said.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at the event, "Without educated women, without women in employment, including in leadership roles, and without recognising the rights and freedoms of one-half of its population, Afghanistan will never take its rightful place on the global stage."
Streep's speech made waves online, with many praising her for using her celebrity platform to bring awareness to the issue.
One person wrote on Instagram, "I love when global stars actually use their literal voices to bring awareness and attention to such important matters. None of us are free until all of us are free."
Image credits: OLGA FEDOROVA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Editorial