Afghanistan's acting minister for women, who fled Kabul, has said the whole situation is uncertain for all the people in her country, and specifically for women who shaped the social fabric of their society for generations.
Hasina Safi, who also served as Minister of Information and Culture, said that she does not want to see violence against women. "We do not want to see violence against women. It's not only a matter of violence, it's a matter of development. It's a matter of participation. It's a matter of precaution. It's a matter of prevention," she said.
Safi, who had to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of Kabul in August, spoke to UN Women about the current situation in Afghanistan.
Following the Taliban ascent to power, the future of women leaders hangs in balance. The uncertainties have cultivated fear in women across the country given the harrowing memories of the Taliban's previous rule in the 1990s.
The former minister explained that the most urgent needs of women and girls in Afghanistan fall into two categories: policy action and grassroots responses.
"At the policy level, as there is no longer a women's ministry, the world needs to understand where are women's issues going to be dealt with and who is going to proceed with that. The world cannot be quiet now that there is no women's ministry," she said.
And at the grassroots level, Safi added that the most urgent thing women need is their safety. "Especially those women who have been vocal, who have been very much in media and who have been critical advocates and activists."
She said that women who she is in contact with "are hiding every day, sending me messages because there is no one place or organization to communicate and to discuss with them what's happening."
While urging the international community to come forward to help the Afghan women, the former minister said that this is the time to act on all the commitments. "International support needs to be based on very clear, defined mechanisms of mutual accountability and monitoring to really see who is doing what and how much support is really reaching women."
"We want to help women concretely, by making sure they are the real beneficiaries of aid and funding. There are talented young leaders, talented young women. We can build and invest in them urgently," she added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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