Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has issued a powerful call to the international community, stating that the world still owes an unresolved moral and political debt to Afghan women and girls, and warning against global complacency in the face of their continued oppression under Taliban rule.
Addressing Spain’s 2026 Ambassadors’ Conference on Thursday in Madrid, Prime Minister Sánchez emphasized that the struggle for Afghan women’s rights must remain a permanent priority on the global agenda. Welcoming a delegation of Afghan women activists attending the annual diplomatic gathering, he underscored the importance of visibility, solidarity, and sustained international support.
“Afghan women and girls must not be forgotten,” Sánchez said, stressing that under a feminist foreign policy framework, defending their rights is not optional but a shared global responsibility. He noted that silence or inaction would amount to complicity in the systemic erasure of women from public life in Afghanistan.
Spain’s Ambassadors’ Conference is held annually with the participation of Spanish ambassadors, senior diplomats, and foreign policy leadership from across the country’s diplomatic missions. This year’s conference placed particular emphasis on human rights, gender equality, and international accountability.
On the margins of the conference, Spain’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, José Manuel Albares, is expected to present a plaque of appreciation to former Afghan parliamentarian and prominent women’s rights advocate Fawzia Koofi. The recognition honors her longstanding and courageous efforts to defend the rights, dignity, and political participation of Afghan women, both inside Afghanistan and on the international stage.
Prime Minister Sánchez also formally inaugurated a room at Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dedicated to Afghan women and girls, a symbolic yet enduring gesture intended to institutionalize Spain’s commitment to their cause. The room will serve as a reminder within Spain’s diplomatic headquarters of the ongoing struggle faced by Afghan women and the responsibility of the international community to respond.
Foreign Minister Albares stated that the dedicated space is a tribute to Afghan women and girls who continue to resist discrimination and repression despite the severe and systematic restrictions imposed by the Taliban. He reaffirmed Spain’s commitment to amplifying their voices in international forums and supporting initiatives that promote their rights and freedoms.
Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghan women have been subjected to sweeping and unprecedented restrictions, including bans on secondary and higher education, severe limitations on employment, and exclusion from public and political life. These measures have drawn repeated condemnation from governments, international organizations, and human rights groups, who describe the situation as one of the most severe cases of gender-based repression in the world today.
Spain’s leadership has reiterated that the plight of Afghan women is not a regional issue but a global moral challenge one that demands sustained diplomatic pressure, humanitarian support, and international unity. As Sánchez concluded, honoring Afghan women requires more than words; it requires long-term commitment, principled action, and an unwavering refusal to look away.
