Gender equality

Bangladesh's Economic Relations Division described the combined investments as a “strategic offensive” to support Bangladesh’s transition to upper-middle-income status.

This latest edict from Akhundzada, who rarely appears in public and rules from Kandahar, reinforces his absolute authority.

If these working group meetings proceed as planned, they will be the first major technical talks under the Doha framework to take place on Afghan soil.

Health minister Sudha Gautam, a senior gynaecologist herself, is positioned to drive change. Experts urge her to prioritise regulation, monitoring, and awareness campaigns.

The new campaign criticises the international community’s shift toward what the group calls “silence and normalization.” Despite widespread initial outrage, some countries have engaged with the Taliban on pragmatic grounds.

According to the Secretary-General’s report submitted on 3 December 2025, the Taliban leadership – including the supreme leader’s inner circle – has intensified efforts to consolidate control through religious-guided governance, increased oversight, and sweeping policy changes.

The mission emphasised that “standing with Afghan women” requires more than symbolic gestures: it requires resources, policy pressure, and the international will to ensure that women in Afghanistan can live with dignity and safety.

Labour economists caution against reading the headline numbers uncritically. They note that a large portion of India’s workforce remains informal, underpaid, and without stable contracts.