Afghan women and girls

The UK government is set to launch new refugee resettlement routes for Afghan women and girls and Palestinians, according to a Guardian report flagged by Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood around the Labour Party conference. The announcement comes as Labour faces pressure over its asylum and migration policy, and the move is drawing attention as a notable shift in who the UK will accept for resettlement.

The UK government is set to open new refugee resettlement routes for Afghan women and girls as well as Palestinians, according to a report in the Guardian. The announcement is linked to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and marks a shift in UK resettlement policy. The scheme is expected to offer safe pathways for groups facing acute risk, though details on eligibility and numbers have not yet been fully outlined.

Canada, together with the Netherlands and other allies, took the unprecedented step of initiating proceedings against Afghanistan at the International Court of Justice over the Taliban's systematic persecution of women and girls. Two years on, observers are asking what the case has achieved, as restrictions on Afghan women's education, work and public life continue and accountability through international legal channels remains slow and uncertain.

South African officials have held talks with Nobel Peace Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai focused on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. The discussion comes as Afghan women continue to face severe restrictions on education, work and public life under Taliban rule. The talks signal growing international diplomatic attention to the issue, with activists pressing governments to keep pressure on the Taliban and defend Afghan women's access to schooling.