Women | US Deputy Representative Tammy Bruce told the UN Security Council the Taliban have systematically reversed decades of progress on women's role in peace and security

ACW | October 28, 2026 — Tammy Bruce, the US Deputy Representative to the United Nations, told the Security Council on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, that the Taliban have reversed decades of gains for women.

In remarks published by the US Mission to the UN, Bruce said that over the past five years the Taliban have "systematically reversed decades of hard-won progress" on women's participation in peace and security.

She said the Taliban "continue to deny young women pathways to receive an education, secure jobs, or receive training." Bruce called these practices "unacceptable" and said they "must cease immediately."

The published text contains no response from the Taliban authorities.

Background: Since returning to power in August 2021, the Taliban have barred girls from school beyond sixth grade and restricted women's work in many sectors. ACW earlier reported that UN Women says Afghanistan faces the world's worst women's rights crisis.

Why it matters: Speaking at the Security Council, the UN's main body for peace and security, Bruce named the closed routes to education, work and training for young Afghan women as a barrier to their role in peace and security.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Source: US Mission to the UN — Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Women and Peace and Security

Photo: Hasht-e Subh (US Mission to the UN)