PARIS, France, Dec 12 (AFP): Afghanistan's International Olympic Committee member Samira Asghari has told AFP that the Taliban authorities need to realise that if they are ever to be accepted internationally they must respect the rights of women to education and sport.
Asghari, who at 31 is living in exile for the second time, does however favour engaging with Afghanistan's rulers.
The Taliban government has banned girls from schools beyond the age of 12, and barred women from most jobs and public services -- and from playing sport.
Asghari, who in 2018 became Afghanistan's first ever IOC member, accepts her "situation is quite challenging" and beating the drum for Afghan women's sport "does require certain precautions".
Nevertheless the former international basketball player, like many top Afghan women athletes, is undeterred in speaking out about the treatment of women under the Taliban authorities.
"The reality is that when you take a public stand for women's rights you do become a target, but I believe strongly in communication and engagement," she said in an email interview.
"As long as the Taliban remain the reality on the ground in Afghanistan, we cannot afford to waste time doing nothing.
"In my role, I have tried to help smooth the discussions between the IOC and those currently in control, focusing on the sport rights of women and girls and particularly primary school girls who are still inside Afghanistan."
The IOC has held discussions with the Taliban authorities since 2021, after some Afghan athletes, coaches and their families were evacuated from the country.
In negotiations ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IOC secured the presence of a gender-balanced team of Afghan athletes, all of whom were in exile.
Asghari, one of four children of a retired professional make-up artist mother and a father who was a manager in the Afghan Olympic national committee, says the "conversations are not always easy".
"They are not about legitimising any government," she said.
"But they are very important for creating tangible opportunities for future generations of young boys and girls in Afghanistan."
'FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE'
With Afghan sportswomen spread round the globe, putting together teams is complex.
However, a women's football team, Afghan Women United, made up of players based in Europe and Australia, recently competed in FIFA Unites: Women's Series 2025 in Morocco.
"This support for athletes outside Afghanistan is just the first step, and I hope FIFA can align with the IOC's ongoing talks with the Taliban," she said.
Asghari hopes the message gets through to Afghanistan's rulers.
"The Taliban were given the country and now they're trying to maintain power while ignoring fundamental human rights, particularly for women," she said.
"It's very difficult for them to continue ruling Afghanistan this way in the long term, and the Taliban need to understand that their international acceptance is directly linked to respecting human rights, including the rights of women to education and sport."
Asghari, who attended the recent Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh where Afghan women and men competed, said she hoped for "small openings" in the Taliban's stance.
"I also believe that if we can find small openings -- like developing sport in primary schools where girls are still allowed to attend up to sixth grade -- we should take them," she said.
