Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help women from religious minorities who are persecuted in Afghanistan by the Taliban and have their freedoms severely curtailed due to fear of kidnapping, forced conversion and forced marriage.

We are committed to prioritising women and girls in the Government's response to the situation in Afghanistan and remain concerned about their safety. We are consulting Afghan women's organisations to understand how best to support their needs, in safety and with dignity. On 21 October, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, Minister of State for South Asia, UN and the Commonwealth, attended the annual Women, Peace and Security Open Debate at the UN Security Council and met prominent Afghan women to discuss how the UK can best support women and girls.