Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to support the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The Government are working with international partners, including the G7, G20 and through the UN, to advocate for the rights of women and girls and to coordinate an international response. We have repeatedly condemned the Taliban's decisions to restrict the rights of women and girls, including through UN Security Council, Human Rights Council resolutions and public statements.

We continue to support the delivery of education, through bilateral and multilateral contributions. On 27 June, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad, Minister for South Asia hosted a meeting of Afghan women leaders to discuss the impact of the Taliban's restrictions on Afghan women as well as the inclusion of Afghan women in the future political process.