The world can't stay silent as Taliban take away women's rights

Last month, the Taliban announced that they will ban women from attending university or teaching in Afghanistan. It is a decision that did more in a single day to entrench discrimination against women and girls and set back their empowerment than any other single policy decision I can remember.

- Gordon Brown

Since the Taliban returned to power, girls have been banned from attending secondary school. Now they are being banned from primary school. Thousands of female government have been told to stay at home. Other recent rulings prevent women from travelling without a male relative or attending mosques or religious seminaries. In November, girls and women were banned from entering public places, including parks.

The rest of the world cannot stay silent in the illusory hope that these bans are temporary. It is time to take the Taliban on - and it is the Muslim nations across the world that follow Islamic law to uphold the education of women and girls, that are in the best position to lead the charge. Muslim countries hold the key to restoring women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan.

Following the Taliban's university ban, we heard some welcome voices. Qatar's ministry of foreign affairs immediately condemned the actions and urged Afghanistan to end its ban.