Addressing the General Assembly in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that women and girls in Afghanistan are now “exiles in their own country” due to laws banning them from public life.

The UN said in a statement that Guterres expressed his concerns about the right of women and girls in Afghanistan.

“In Afghanistan, where women’s rights are being trampled,” the UN statement reads.

However, Zabiullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate's spokesperson, said that women's and girls' rights have been upheld in Afghanistan and that the international community should not use the issue of women to put pressure on the current government.

"They should not make this a political tool and use it as a means of pressure,” Mujahid said.

Some women meanwhile asked the Islamic Emirate to respect the basic rights of women and allow them to get an education.

“We ask the current government to reopen schools, madrassas and all educational centers to girls,” said Nargis Niazi, a student.

“We ask the Islamic Emirate to reopen schools for girls so that we can get an education,” said Arezo Rahmani, a student.

Previously, the Islamic Emirate prohibited women from going to university and working in non-governmental institutions in separate official decrees.